overlook
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to fail to notice, perceive, or consider.
to overlook a misspelled word.
- Synonyms:
- miss
-
to disregard or ignore indulgently, as faults or misconduct.
Only a parent could overlook that kind of behavior.
-
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.
-
to look over in inspection, examination, or perusal.
They allowed us to overlook the proposed contract.
-
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
-
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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
overlooksimple
-
overlookssimple
-
have overlookedperfect
-
has overlookedperfect
-
am overlookingprogressive
-
are overlookingprogressive
-
is overlookingprogressive
-
have been overlookingperfect progressive
-
has been overlookingperfect progressive
Past
-
overlookedsimple
-
had overlookedperfect
-
was overlookingprogressive
-
were overlookingprogressive
-
had been overlookingperfect progressive
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.
See Examples For:
Many species rely on information gathered through multiple senses, suggesting that scientists may overlook important forms of communication if they focus only on what animals can see.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 20, 2026
While investors currently appear concerned about the combination of high fuel prices and continued capacity growth, they overlook the relationship between fuel costs, industry capacity and fares, Bernstein adds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
Meanwhile, global policy initiatives on aging like the United Nations’ Decade of Healthy Ageing overlook menopause entirely.
From Salon ● Jun. 14, 2026
Just 22 miles away from the head office, the Swiss Alps overlook the Romont coffee plant.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
We overlook just how large a role we all play—and by “we” I mean society—in determining who makes it and who doesn’t.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
The stately, 9,694-square-foot residence overlooks the 17th fairway of The Governors Club golf course.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
Julia Dawber's home overlooks an expanse of scenic coastline, and she says as many as nine campervans can park up near the shore at any one time.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
A conference room in the Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Administrative Headquarters overlooks one of County Councilwoman Meredith Turner’s most prized views in downtown Cleveland.
From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2026
They also created demand for ever more workers to serve a bigger population, in a circular effect that often overlooks the needs of local citizens, says Tännler.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
When he lived in Montana, Roy once hiked up Pine Creek Trail into the Absaroka Range, which overlooks Paradise Valley and the Yellowstone River.
From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen
The EAC is one of dozens of multimember commissions that make up an overlooked part of the federal government.
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026
Serena won 23 Grand Slams in singles and Venus won seven, leaving their doubles achievements somewhat overlooked.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
And breakout cast member Ashley Padilla was overlooked too, her comic timing apparently too absurd for voters’ tastes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
"For a long time... their voices have been ignored, and their needs have been overlooked."
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
“Jet, for you, I overlooked many things. Nizhe’e—” She wiped away tears from the corner of her eyes.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
The red-granite and glass building overlooking Fox Studio Lot was formerly called Fox Plaza, but may be better known to movie fans as fictional Nakatomi Plaza, where Bruce Willis fought terrorists in “Die Hard.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
The billionaire businessman, in his fifties -- his exact age is unknown -- was arrested by the FBI in March 2023 in his luxury Manhattan apartment overlooking Central Park.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
The roughly 15,300-square-foot home features a walnut staircase and a curved glass wall overlooking the yard.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
Markets have rewarded companies for promising an AI-driven future, often overlooking earnings that have yet to catch up with the scale of investment.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 26, 2026
The cannon was on a small grassy hill overlooking the park.
From "Wringer" by Jerry Spinelli
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.
