From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishappearanceap‧pear‧ance /əˈpɪərəns $ əˈpɪr-/ ●●● W2 noun 1 way somebody/something looks [countable, uncountable]APPEARANCE the way someone or something looks to other people He was always criticising his wife’s appearance.appearance of They’ve changed the appearance of the whole building. We are often attracted to somebody first by their physical appearance. Women, in general, tend to be more concerned than men about their personal appearance. She had an outward appearance of calm, but deep down she was really worried. The metal posts spoiled the appearance of the garden. A garnish helps to enhance the appearance of any dish. She’s the kind of woman who takes pride in her appearance. You shouldn’t judge by appearances. They work hard at school without giving the appearance of being particularly hard-working. The case had all the appearances of a straightforward murder. The pupils looked angelic – but appearances can be deceptive. He was, to all appearances, a respectable, successful businessman.2 somebody takes part in a public event [countable]PERFORM when a famous person takes part in a film, concert, or other public event It was his first public appearance since the election. He made his last appearance for the club in the Cup Final.appearance money/fee (=money paid to a famous person to attend an event)3 something new starts to existEXIST [singular] when something new begins to exist or starts being usedappearance of The industry has changed greatly with the appearance of new technologies. the appearance of buds on the trees4 arrival [countable usually singular]APPEAR the unexpected or sudden arrival of someone or somethingappearance of Eileen was deep in concentration, and the sudden appearance of her daughter startled her.5 → keep up appearances6 → for appearances’ sake/for the sake of appearances7 → put in an appearance/make an appearance8 at a law court/meeting [countable]TRIAL an occasion when someone goes to a court of law or official meeting to give information, answer questions etc He is due to make another court appearance on Monday.COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1: the way someone or something looks to other peopleadjectivessomebody's/something's physical appearanceIf you want to improve your physical appearance, eat well and exercise.somebody's personal appearanceTeenagers are very conscious of their personal appearance.somebody's/something's odd/strange appearanceChildren sometimes stared at him because of his odd appearance.a distinctive/striking appearance (=unusual and interesting)The unusual leaves give the plant a distinctive appearance.an attractive/handsome/pleasing etc appearanceLarge blue eyes set in a long thin face give him a striking and attractive appearance.somebody's youthful appearanceShe was no longer a young woman, despite her youthful appearance.the outward appearanceBeneath the outward appearance of confidence, she is very shy.the general/overall appearanceThe second phase of the project is to improve the town’s overall appearance.the visual appearanceIntensive farming changed the visual appearance of the countryside.verbshave a ... appearanceThe young girl had a pleasing appearance.improve/enhance the appearance of something/somebodyFresh air improves the appearance of the skin.change/alter the appearance of somethingThe proposed dam will change the appearance of the surrounding countryside enormously.give something/somebody a … appearanceHis uniform gave him an official appearance.phrasestake pride in your appearance (=make an effort to look good)She seems to take no pride at all in her personal appearance these days.judge by appearances (=make judgements based on the way someone or something looks)You shouldn’t judge by appearances. COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: when a famous person takes part in a film, concert, or other public eventADJECTIVES/NOUN + appearancesomebody's first/second/last etc appearanceThis is the band's last appearance in the UK before a 46-date tour of Europe. a public appearanceIn his first public appearance since his election, the president-elect ruled out talks with the United States. a radio/TV appearanceJohn hated the endless TV appearances to promote each new album.a guest appearance (=an appearance by a famous person on a TV show or at a musical event, in addition to the people who usually take part)He made several guest appearances on the show in the 1960s. a cameo appearance (=a short appearance in a film or play by a well-known actor or person )Alfred Hitchcock always made a cameo appearance in his own films.a personal appearanceThe First Lady is asked to make a large number of personal appearances for worthy causes.a live appearanceTroy's first live appearance was at last year's Montreux Jazz Festival.a Wembley/Hollywood Bowl etc appearanceHe led the Broncos to three Super Bowl appearances in twelve years. a farewell appearance (=a last appearance)His farewell appearance for the club was made in front of a packed crowd.verbsmake an appearanceThe president made a dramatic appearance on nationwide television to announce a fresh peace initiative.appearance + NOUNappearance fee/money (=the money someone is paid to appear somewhere)He gave his appearance fee to charity. THESAURUSappearance the way someone or something looks to other peopleShe’d had plastic surgery to change her appearance.The mushrooms are similar in appearance to poisonous ones, so you have to be careful.looks someone’s appearance, especially when considering how good-looking they are. Looks is more informal than appearanceGirls of that age are always worried about their looks.People generally describe him as having boyish good looks.image the appearance and character that a person, organization, product etc deliberately tries to produceShe wowed fans with her sleek new image.The scandal has damaged her image as an honest politician.The car has a racy new image.aspect literary the appearance of someone or somethingThe costume gives his character an even more sinister aspect.
Examples from the Corpus
appearance• You must be very pleased with its production and appearance.• This mushroom looks harmless enough, but appearances can be deceptive and it is in fact very poisonous.• Judging by appearances, things are back to normal.• The Christmas lights gave the house a festive appearance.• Products in this category can be rapidly restored to a remarkably fresh appearance by the addition of water.• I wish she'd do something about her appearance - she's always such a mess.• The mushrooms are similar in appearance to poisonous one, so you have to be careful.• Concentrate on the content of your essay, not its appearance.• Later I put one on the wall of my study so that I could watch these changes in my appearance.• A layer of sand will give a natural appearance to the bottom of the aquarium.• The military activity was in stark contrast to the peaceful appearance of the islands.• Personal appearances always seemed to be a bone of contention.• The wall was painted with little squares to give the appearance of mosaic.• Karen gives the appearance of being confident, but she isn't really.• The waitress, although she was only about 40, had the appearance of a very old woman.• The appearance of a drug that promotes sleep without depressing the central nervous sys-tem has been long awaited.• The nematodes are commonly called roundworms, from their appearance in cross-section.• O'Brien's article suggests ways to improve your appearance.to all appearances• To all appearances, they were a happily married couple.• To all appearances Aboyeur was a no-hoper and Craganour a certainty.• To all appearances the personal relationship that Reagan had hoped to establish with Gorbachev was quick in the making.• To all appearances, it had been a completely normal day.• To all appearances, it kept a grip on at least 30 million Muslimsmore than the entire population of the Maghreb today.• The topsoil could then be pushed back across the site and to all appearances undisturbed agricultural land was left.• And, to all appearances, neither does Black.• The lobster slumped instantly, to all appearances dead, and being limp was easier to place in the pot.• And how is it possible that, to all appearances, neither the Treasury nor its chief secretary knew about it?appearance money/fee• I joked that I had to go and collect my $ 40,000 appearance money.• Several national organizing committees look at shoe companies and appearance fees as a threat to their authority.• He missed the cut by eight strokes, collected his six-figure appearance fee, and split for a month at home.• Simpson will receive only one pound, about $ 1. 53, in appearance money, a Granada spokesman said.• Not to ask for any more appearance money. 5.• The air was thick with paranoia as the conversation turned to the perfidious question of appearance money.• As an act's appearance fees become higher, the agent may settle for a smaller percentage.• The appearance money due to Newcastle was withheld. 