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• lookout
  lookout

  noun

  the act of looking out or keeping watch.
• Lookout
  Lookout

  noun

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

lookout

¹ American  

[look-out] / ˈlʊkˌaʊt /

noun

• lookouts
  plural

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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• lookouts
  plural

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

See Examples For:

lookout Lookout lookouts

Dobrindt said that officers at train stations, airports and Germany's borders had been alerted to be on the lookout for Ballout.

From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026

Those who describe their career strategies as "lily padding" are always on the lookout for the next opportunity.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

A prior warning by the Treasury Department directed banks to be on the lookout for employers that may be committing payroll fraud by employing undocumented immigrants.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

As a career documentary filmmaker, I’m always on the lookout for quirky Los Angeles stories.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

“Stay away from the park ranger robot. He spends most of his time taking care of the grounds, but he’s always on the lookout for troublemakers.”

From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown

Lookout Hill: Yarn and Art Supplies – I passed this shop a few times and couldn’t get over how charming it looked.

From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2026

In addition to the New York City apartment, Dreyer and Fichera also shared a stunning beach house in Point Lookout, N.Y., which was purchased back in 2021 for $2.5 million.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 28, 2025

Appeared in the November 4, 2025, print edition as 'Wall Street Intensifies Lookout For Fraud'.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2025

These include restaurants called Marva's and Pelican Lookout.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2025

She hummed as she measured and marked her charts, and she sang so loudly when she climbed Lookout Palm to check for sails that a seagull dropped his fish.

From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr

Instead, they act as digital lookouts who hunt for coveted vintage apartments that are otherwise hard to find without expertise.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026

They had plate numbers and makes and models of cars, and sometimes even VINs; they had scouts and lookouts; they had canvassed businesses and compiled surveillance footage.

From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2025

Britain's marine safety body has called for a "radical rethink" over the use of ship lookouts "in the digital age" following a fatal collision in the North Sea and three other incidents.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2025

The Hostage Families Forum Headquarters, an umbrella body representing the families of those held captive, identified the five lookouts as Naama Levy, Agam Berger, Liri Albag, Karina Ariev and Daniela Gilboa.

From New York Times ● May 22, 2024

The lookouts strained to see what lay before them, and shook their heads in despair.

From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham

Related Words

• sentry