overlook
Americanverb (used with object)
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to fail to notice, perceive, or consider.
to overlook a misspelled word.
- Synonyms:
- miss
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to disregard or ignore indulgently, as faults or misconduct.
Only a parent could overlook that kind of behavior.
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to look over, as from a higher position.
a balcony that overlooks the ballroom.
-
to afford a view over; look down or out upon.
a hill overlooking the sea.
-
to rise above.
The Washington Monument overlooks the tidal basin.
-
a minor infraction we can overlook this time.
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to look over in inspection, examination, or perusal.
They allowed us to overlook the proposed contract.
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to look after, oversee, or supervise.
She has to overlook a large number of employees.
-
Archaic. to look upon with the evil eye; bewitch.
noun
verb
-
to fail to notice or take into account
-
to disregard deliberately or indulgently
-
to look at or over from above
the garden is overlooked by the prison
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to afford a view of from above
the house overlooks the bay
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to rise above
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to look after
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to look at carefully
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to bewitch or cast the evil eye upon (someone)
noun
-
a high place affording a view
-
an act of overlooking
Synonym Usage
See slight.
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have overlookedperfect
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has overlookedperfect 3rd person singular
-
has been overlookingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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overlookssingular 3rd person
-
are overlookingprogressive
-
overlookingparticiple
-
have been overlookingperfect progressive
-
am overlookingprogressive 1st person singular
-
is overlookingprogressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had overlookedperfect
-
had been overlookingperfect progressive
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was overlookingprogressive singular
-
were overlookingprogressive plural
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overlookedsimple
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overlookedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of overlook
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English; see origin at over-, look
Explanation
To overlook something is to fail to see it. When planning a party, it's best to write out a to-do list so that you don't overlook any details. The verb overlook literally means to look over the top of. The word has come to refer to the act of neglecting something, usually because your focus is aimed elsewhere. You might overlook the cost of car insurance if you’re busy calculating the cost of buying the car and paying for gas and parking. As a noun, an overlook is a space high above ground. You might overlook your curfew if you're busy enjoying an overlook with your date.
Vocabulary lists containing overlook
Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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Vocabulary from the Lyrics of Pete Seeger
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"Why Women Should Vote" by Jane Addams (1910)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In Mount Hood: The exterior of the Timberline Lodge was filmed to represent the Overlook Hotel in “The Shining,” with Jack Nicholson.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026
Sandra Naftzger and Natalie Naftzger Davis, heirs to a 20th century California ranch empire, own nearly 300 acres of the semi-wild slopes and ridges descending from the Scenic Overlook.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 9, 2025
“The Ugly Stepsister” won the Audience Award at the recent Overlook Film Festival, and it's best seen in the theater with a crowd, especially during its more potent moments.
From Salon • Apr. 18, 2025
The surrounding Redwoods National and State Parks include miles of trails and coastline north and south of the Klamath River estuary, including the rocky coastal view from High Bluff Overlook.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 1, 2025
I didn’t know how to feel, wrapped around Charlie, driving up Overlook Road.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
