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I have confusion about following words because it's Gujarati meaning for all are same. What is actual difference between following words

  • Look,
  • See,
  • Watch

If possible then explain with example.

200_success
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Sadikhasan
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  • This can help: http://www.vocabulary.cl/Lists/See_Look_Watch_Hear_Listen.htm , but please start using dictionaries. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ –  Mar 27 '15 at 11:29
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    Have you looked these up in an English dictionary? –  Mar 27 '15 at 11:48
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    Because you're an English language learner, perhaps? –  Mar 27 '15 at 12:03
  • Because this site is for asking questions like "What does 'metaphysical radius' mean?" –  Mar 27 '15 at 12:04
  • @HotLicks I seen lots of question in this site which is asking for differences? –  Mar 27 '15 at 12:05
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    Yes, there are a lot of questions here that really belong on ELL. –  Mar 27 '15 at 12:07
  • 'She gave him a dirty watch' and 'She gave him a dirty look' have different meanings. As do 'The Bishop has a large see' and 'The Bishop has a large watch'. English words usually have different senses, some more closely overlapping than others. And their overlaps with synonyms are often very difficult to explain. And then there are homographs.... Or perhaps you meant the verbs? – Edwin Ashworth Mar 27 '15 at 12:22

4 Answers4

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The easiest way to differentiate the meanings of the verb, is by intent:

You can "see" something accidentally.

"Looking" requires effort.

"Watching" requires time and effort.

If you look carefully, you might see a shooting star. If you watch for a while, you will have a better chance of seeing one.

Oldbag
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These words have different connotations with regard to activeness or intent.

Look is generally the most passive. Casting your eyes in the direction of something may be called looking.

See is more active. One might say that seeing involves not only looking at something but more closely. It implies that there is some understanding of the thing being seen, not merely visually sensing it.

Watch gives the sense of actively seeing, but with intent. It also connotes seeing for a period of time. You might accidentally see a meteor streak across the night sky, or you may spend an hour watching the night sky for meteors.

Joel Brown
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There's no better source for separating synonyms than this. Read this section:

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Synonyms: A Dictionary of Discriminated ...

2 See, look, watch can all mean to perceive something ...

Also, read the definition of "see" on the same p. 718.

Read any number of the threads here for a discussion and many examples. E.g., this one.

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    I guess OP is asking for more basic explanations and definitions!!! –  Mar 27 '15 at 11:47
  • I want example like I cannot use see instead of look or watch. I must have to use particular word for particular activity. –  Mar 27 '15 at 11:49
  • Well, I'll leave this then as future reference, to be later grasped and admired:-) –  Mar 27 '15 at 11:51
  • @Sadikhasan I added a link in my answer taking you to many examples. –  Mar 27 '15 at 12:03
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I would use see to refer to something that you perceive through your eyes, I would use look to refer to something I am pointing my eyes at (whether I am actually seeing it or not) and watch to refer to something I am actively looking at.

For example, if I casually put my eyes on a car while walking down the street, I would be looking at it, but if I was sleepy, or distracted I could look without seeing it. On the other hand if I was not looking at it and it suddenly entered my field of vision I could see it, and if it was a car that raised my curiosity for whatever reason and I was to follow it with my eyes I would be watching it.