look back

Dictionary

look back(

)

An intransitive verb phrase is a phrase that combines a verb with a preposition or other particle and does not require a direct object (e.g. Everybody please stand up.).

intransitive verb phrase

1. (to glance behind)

a. mirar atrás

Don't look back now; John's following us.No mires atrás; John nos está siguiendo.

b. mirar hacia atrás

I ran as fast as I could and didn't look back till I'd locked the garden gate behind me.Corrí tan rápido como pude y no miré hacia atrás hasta que hube cerrado con llave la puerta del jardín.

2. (to return someone's gaze; often used with "at")

a. devolver la mirada

I opened the door of the shed, looked in and was surprised to see two brown eyes looking back at me.Abrí la puerta del cobertizo, eché una mirada adentro y me quedé sorprendida al ver dos ojos marrones que me devolvían la mirada.

3. (to think back to the past)

a. mirar al pasado

You need to look forward, not back.Hay que mirar al futuro, no al pasado.

b. mirar atrás

When I look back, I realize how naive I was.Cuando miro atrás, me doy cuenta de lo ingenuo que era.

c. mirar hacia atrás

There's no point looking back; you can't change what's happened.De nada sirve mirar hacia atrás; es imposible cambiar lo ocurrido.

d. volver al pasado

It's pointless looking back; what's done is done.No vale la pena volver al pasado; lo hecho hecho está.

This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.

no direct translation

Looking back, I wish I'd realized how lucky I was to be married to Martin.Pensándolo ahora, ojalá me hubiera dado cuenta de lo afortunada que era de estar casada con Martin.

When I look back, I wonder how I never realized what Richard meant.Cuando pienso en aquellos días, me pregunto cómo puede ser que no entendiera lo que insinuaba Richard.

4. (to recall; used with "on" or "at")

a. recordar

I look back on that time at the farm with great affection.Recuerdo aquel tiempo en la granja con mucho cariño.

5. (to suffer a change of fortune)

This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.

no direct translation

Ten years ago, Daisy got a job designing fabrics, and she's never looked back since.Hace diez años, Daisy encontró un trabajo diseñando telas, y desde ese día las cosas le han ido muy bien.

When Emily came out of prison, she enrolled on a horticultural course and hasn't looked back.Cuando salió de la cárcel, Emily se matriculó en un curso de horticultura y desde entonces todo le ha ido sobre ruedas.

look back

An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g. The man sneezed.).

intransitive verb

1. (in space)

a. mirar atrás, volver la vista atrás

2. (in time)

to l back on somethingrecordar algo

he has never looked back since that daydesde ese día no ha hecho más que progresar

look back

verb:intransitive:plus_adverb

1 (look behind) mirar hacia atrás

She looked back at Marie and smiled

2 (remember) pensar en el pasado

looking back, I'm surprised I didn't suspect anything pensándolo ahora, me sorprende que no hubiera sospechado nada; to look back on or at [+event, period] recordar; rememorar

When they look back on this match ... We can look back at 20 years of happy marriage

after that he never looked back desde entonces todo le ha ido sobre ruedas

It took him 10 years to sell his first painting, but after that he never looked back

Collins Complete Spanish Electronic Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

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