overlook
Americanverb (used with object)
-
overlooks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
overlooked,
past participle, past
-
overlooking
present participle
-
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
-
overlooks
plural
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
-
to afford a view of from above
the house overlooks the bay
-
to rise above
-
to look after
-
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"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Vocabulary from the Lyrics of Pete Seeger
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Why Women Should Vote" by Jane Addams (1910)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
She says the bonus should be the "cherry on top" and people shouldn't overlook other aspects such as the bank's reputation for service, any overdraft charges and what savings rate it offers.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
When it comes time to sell your home, don’t overlook tax breaks that could save you a significant amount of money.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 8, 2026
Forbes was also a public figure in a proposal to redevelop Fisherman’s Wharf, which envisions constructing a public plaza and adding a new overlook and lighting to the wharf’s inner lagoon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
These supporters were willing to overlook some flaws because they believed in his message — at least until this more serious allegation came out.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 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
Yes, it overlooks a nest of alleyways, and no, management does not like people going up there, and no, I don’t know all my neighbors by name or even sight yet.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
The stately, 9,694-square-foot residence overlooks the 17th fairway of The Governors Club golf course.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
If you drive on the 101 Freeway, you might catch a glimpse of the giant Minion that overlooks the city from the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 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
And our porch overlooks the courtyard, where kids play and stuff.
From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle
Get the inside track on both the overhyped and overlooked events of the week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
There was table tennis, darts and computer games available at the team's luxury hotel, which overlooked Darling Harbour.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
Yet in their rush to destroy the old guard, Weiss and Ellison have overlooked the fact that they left behind an elite corps of unemployed, highly motivated investigative journalists with nothing left to lose.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026
“We want to make sure that communities that have been historically overlooked get the same benefits from the transaction as everyone else,” Goodman said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
I wanted it to be true so badly that I probably would have overlooked anything.
From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy
On a Turkish hillside overlooking the olive-covered slopes outside Izmir is a cave known to generations of locals as the place where Homer penned "The Odyssey".
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
A large crowd gathered to watch the bonfire, while police observed from the city walls overlooking the Bogside.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Members dressed in white could be seen playing croquet on the lawn overlooking Biscayne Bay that day, attendees said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Perched on a hilltop overlooking the ocean and the iconic Zuma Beach, the 4,000-square-foot main residence offers unobstructed views of the water, which are beautifully framed by floor-to-ceiling windows.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
On April 5, during a break in the trial, Judge Matthew Byrne strolled along a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Richard Nixon’s San Clemente home.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
