diff --git a/misc-utils/look.1 b/misc-utils/look.1
index 503e3858417..cca83416ece 100644
--- a/misc-utils/look.1
+++ b/misc-utils/look.1
@@ -101,6 +101,11 @@ sort -d /etc/passwd -o /tmp/look.dict
 look -t: root:foobar /tmp/look.dict
 .nf
 .RE
+.SH ENVIRONMENT
+.TP
+.B WORDLIST
+Path to a dictionary file.  The environment variable has greater priority
+than the dictionary path defined in FILES segment.
 .SH FILES
 .IP "\fB/usr/share/dict/words\fR" 4
 the dictionary
diff --git a/misc-utils/look.c b/misc-utils/look.c
index 60fbbbfca1a..d2699bfdd69 100644
--- a/misc-utils/look.c
+++ b/misc-utils/look.c
@@ -104,7 +104,11 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
 
-	file = _PATH_WORDS;
+	if ((file = getenv("WORDLIST")) && !access(file, R_OK))
+		/* use the WORDLIST */;
+	else
+		file = _PATH_WORDS;
+
 	termchar = '\0';
 	string = NULL;		/* just for gcc */