lookout

¹ American  

[look-out] / ˈlʊkˌaʊt /

noun

1. the act of looking out or keeping watch.

2. a watch kept, as for something that may happen.

3. a person or group keeping a watch.

   Synonyms:

   guard, patrol, sentry, sentinel

4. a station or place from which a watch is kept.

5. an object of care or concern.

   That's not my lookout.

6. tailpiece.

7. Chiefly British. view; prospect; outlook.

   The business lookout is far from optimistic.

---

Lookout ² American  

[look-out] / ˈlʊkˌaʊt /

noun

1. Cape Lookout, a sandy reef in the Outer Banks, off eastern North Carolina, southwest of Cape Hatteras: known for its lighthouse.

---

lookout British  

/ ˈlʊkˌaʊt /

noun

1. the act of keeping watch against danger, etc

2. a person or persons instructed or employed to keep such a watch, esp on a ship

3. a strategic point from which a watch is kept

4. informal worry or concern

   that's his lookout

5. outlook, chances, or view

---

verb

1. to heed one's behaviour; be careful

   look out for the children's health

2. to be on the watch

   look out for my mother at the station

3. (tr) to search for and find

   I'll look out some curtains for your new house

4. to face in a particular direction

   the house looks out over the moor

lookout Idioms  

1. see keep an eye out for (sharp lookout); on the lookout. Also see entries beginning with look out.

---

Etymology

Origin of lookout

First recorded in 1690–1700; noun use of verb phrase look out

Explanation

The neighborhood kids might use a tree house as a lookout, from which they can keep an eye out for the local bully. A lookout is usually so high that a person can see for a long distance in many directions when she stands on or in it. Armies sometimes use lookouts to scout for approaching troops, and navy ships include a lookout at the top of a tall mast, also called a "crow's nest." Lookout can also be spelled as a hyphenated word, "look-out," and used as well to refer to the person whose job it is to stay in the lookout and keep watch.

Example Sentences

Be on the lookout for a giant shovel.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

They will also be on the lookout for possible flashes of light caused by meteorites crashing into the surface of the Moon.

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

Be on the lookout for anything that seems too good to be true.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

Despite the misgivings of the scientific community, longevity enthusiasts like Scott and Chitwood are always on the lookout for the next therapy to try.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

Blake's handlers inside the KGB went to great lengths to shield him from MI6's counterespionage teams, who were always on the lookout for traitors and double agents within their ranks.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

Related Words

• sentry