overlook

American  

[oh-ver-look, oh-ver-look] / ˌoʊ vərˈlʊk, ˈoʊ vərˌlʊk /

verb (used with object)

1. to fail to notice, perceive, or consider.

   to overlook a misspelled word.

   Synonyms:

   miss

2. to disregard or ignore indulgently, as faults or misconduct.

   Only a parent could overlook that kind of behavior.

3. to look over, as from a higher position.

   a balcony that overlooks the ballroom.

4. to afford a view over; look down or out upon.

   a hill overlooking the sea.

5. to rise above.

   The Washington Monument overlooks the tidal basin.

6. to excuse; pardon.

   a minor infraction we can overlook this time.

7. to look over in inspection, examination, or perusal.

   They allowed us to overlook the proposed contract.

8. to look after, oversee, or supervise.

   She has to overlook a large number of employees.

9. Archaic. to look upon with the evil eye; bewitch.

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noun

1. terrain, as on a cliff, that affords an attractive vista or a good view.

   Miles of landscape could be seen from the overlook.

overlook British  

verb

1. to fail to notice or take into account

2. to disregard deliberately or indulgently

3. to look at or over from above

   the garden is overlooked by the prison

4. to afford a view of from above

   the house overlooks the bay

5. to rise above

6. to look after

7. to look at carefully

8. to bewitch or cast the evil eye upon (someone)

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noun

1. a high place affording a view

2. an act of overlooking

Related Words

See slight.

Etymology

Origin of overlook

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English; 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.

Example Sentences

On the facade of one building, giant portraits of the Islamic republic's founder, Ruhollah Khomeini, and his successor Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed on the first day of the war, overlook a field of ruins.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

From the overlook, the road reads as a line dividing two expressions of the same dune system.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

In practice, many firms rely on written disclosures, which clients perhaps understandably often overlook.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 24, 2026

But Tuason’s eye for horror framing and ear for chilling sound work make the film’s inane elements easy to overlook — at least for a while.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

What everyone seemed to overlook was that at the board Bobby feared no one.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

• discount
• forget
• ignore
• omit