important-looking

important-looking — adjective

1. having an outward look that suggests power, authority, or high status — used abo

1.形容詞B2
釋義

having an outward look that suggests power, authority, or high status — used about a person, a piece of equipment, a building, or a document that appears impressive enough to be taken seriously.

例句

Paul walked into the room carrying an important-looking leather briefcase.

attributive use before noun phrase

The envelope was marked with an important-looking official stamp.

compound adjective modifying concrete noun

同義詞
  • impressive-looking

    very close in meaning, but 'impressive' focuses on the effect on the viewer rather than the implied status of the thing itself

  • imposing

    more formal; suggests size, strength, or solemn dignity rather than status

  • dignified

    suggests calm seriousness and self-respect rather than power or wealth

反義詞
  • humble-looking

    suggests a modest, unpretentious appearance

  • shabby

    suggests worn, poor appearance rather than simply unimpressive

文法句型

important-looking + noun

be + important-looking

用法筆記

This is a compound adjective formed by joining an adjective (important) with the present participle looking. It is hyphenated when it appears before a noun (an important-looking document) but the hyphen is often dropped when it follows the verb (the document looked important). Learners should not confuse it with the fixed phrase look important, which simply means 'seem important'.

常見錯誤

❌He is an important looking man' (no hyphen before a noun).
✅He is an important-looking man.
💡when the compound comes before the noun, a hyphen is needed to avoid confusion.
❌She looked importantly at the papers.
✅She looked important, holding the papers.
💡'importantly' (adverb) means 'in an important manner', not 'having the appearance of importance'.