overlooked

American  

[oh-ver-lookt] / ˌoʊ vərˈlʊkt /

adjective

1. not noticed, or not considered, used, etc..

   This collection of songs includes some long overlooked material by the artist.

2. indulgently or generously excused or disregarded, as faults or misbehavior.

   We share love in a million different ways—a kind word or friendly smile here, an overlooked offense or an act of service there.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of overlook.

Other Word Forms

• unoverlooked
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of overlooked

overlook ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

Something that's overlooked is either not seen or deliberately ignored. If you find a plastic egg full of stale jelly beans in June, it may be an overlooked prize from April's Easter egg hunt. When you disregard, pass over, or fail to notice something, you can call it overlooked. Your best friend's overlooked faults might include her tendency to be late and her annoying laugh — you ignore both because you like her so much. This adjective stems from the verb overlook, which is currently defined as "fail to notice" but originally meant "peer over the top of" or "inspect."

Example Sentences

“In pursuit of perfect vision,” he concludes, “I had overlooked much in the visual matrix surrounding me every day.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

Second, this sector is overlooked because Wall Street is laser-focused on AI and tech right now.

From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026

But in overlooked microbial life, especially ciliates, evolution has repeatedly found ways to edit the instructions.

From Science Daily • May 7, 2026

Digital assets edged higher as investors overlooked a recent incident involving Iran firing at American warships.

From Barron's • May 5, 2026

After work, she liked to sit in the watchtower that overlooked the lucerne fields.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

Related Words

• forgotten
• neglected
• unnoticed