overlooked
Americanadjective
-
not noticed, or not considered, used, etc..
This collection of songs includes some long overlooked material by the artist.
-
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.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of overlooked
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Our journalism examined power and politics, questioned assumptions, surfaced stories that deserved attention and made room for perspectives that were too often overlooked.
From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026
The idea put forward is it’s better to exploit the sticky inflation, higher-yield environment with overlooked real-economy stocks.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
They rarely build new practice areas that might, after several years, profitably serve overlooked client groups.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
Those future analyses could reveal information that was previously overlooked or interpreted differently because scientists did not fully understand the age of the ice.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2026
The galleries that overlooked the ballroom were outfitted with opera boxes for fair officials and socially prominent families.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
