[General] what does sb look like? / how does sb look?

[maoyueh]

Do the sentences below have the same meaning?

1. What does he look like?
2. How does he look?

Many of my friends say #1 and #2 have the same meaning, but to me they don't. It seems to me that #1 asks about his appearance, and the answer could be "He is tall and handsome, with brown hair." But #2 asks about his mental state or physical condition, and the answer could be "He looks happy/sad/worried/pale/tired etc.

But I'm not sure if I am right. I am waiting for your professional opinions. Thank you a lot.

 

[JMurray]

not a teacher

In my opinion you are correct in the majority of cases.
However, sometimes "How does he look?" can be a simple question about his appearance.

a) "Today John was wearing the new jacket you bought him."
b) "I'm glad he likes it, how does he look?"
a) "Very smart."