[Vocabulary] Look to/at somebody

[yuriya]

Hi, please tell me the difference between these expressions.

They looked at him and smiled.
They looked to him and smiled.

Thanks in advance!

 

[TheParser]

Hi, please tell me the difference between these expressions.

They looked at him and smiled.
They looked to him and smiled.

Thanks in advance!

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

Good morning, Yuriya.

(1) I think that your first sentence is excellent!!!

(2) I think that "look to" means many things:

(a) One meaning = to depend on someone/ expect something.

(i) We look to our leaders to solve the economic problems in the

world.

(ii) Children look to their parents to take care of them.

Have a nice day!

 

[Raymott]

Hi, please tell me the difference between these expressions.

They looked at him and smiled.
They looked to him and smiled.

Thanks in advance!

The second sentence is not right. "Look to" does not mean "look at".

 

[yuriya]

Thanks for the advice. I'm reading this novel, and I encounter look to where I normally expect to see look at, which was the reason for this query.

They each took a breath. Then Courtney looked to Mark and said, "You ready?"

"This is a two-way mirror?" she asked. "Who's back there? You interrogating us?" Hirsch looked to D'Angelo and the two chuckled.


I know that "look to" can be used in a sense of "depend on", but it doesn't quite fit in these situations. Probably, in a sense of "expect some kind of response"? But then, we usually say "Don't look at me", rather than "Don't look to me" when we have nothing to offer. I'm a bit confused. Please help me!

 

[Raymott]

Thanks for the advice. I'm reading this novel, and I encounter look to where I normally expect to see look at, which was the reason for this query.

They each took a breath. Then Courtney looked to Mark and said, "You ready?"

"This is a two-way mirror?" she asked. "Who's back there? You interrogating us?" Hirsch looked to D'Angelo and the two chuckled.


I know that "look to" can be used in a sense of "depend on", but it doesn't quite fit in these situations. Probably, in a sense of "expect some kind of response"? But then, we usually say "Don't look at me", rather than "Don't look to me" when we have nothing to offer. I'm a bit confused. Please help me!

There's nothing to be confused about. Some authors have some strange habits of speech. We probably all do.
It's fairly obvious what it means from the context. It has the sense of looking 'towards' someone - which means you have to turn your head or body to do it. Looking 'at' someone doesn't necessarily imply this.
You'll get more reliable replies if you give the context straight up.