Standard Lemma guide

overlook

noun · verb · 15 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈəʊ.vəˌlʊk/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈoʊ.vɚˌlʊk/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Northern-Ireland, Scotland: /ˈo.vəɹ.lʉk/
  • rhymes with -ʊk
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌəʊ.vəˈlʊk/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˌoʊ.vɚˈlʊk/
  • Northern-Ireland, Scotland: /o.vəɹˈlʉk/
  • CMU ARPABET: OW1 V ER0 L UH2 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A vista or point that gives a view down toward something else.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To offer a view (of something) from a higher position.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Our hotel room overlooks the lake.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • These errors were overlooked by the proofreaders.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: misheed, ignore, misregard, miss, overlook, overpass, oversee

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To pretend not to have noticed (something, especially a mistake or flaw); to pass over (something) without censure or punishment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I’m not willing to overlook such bad behaviour.
  • 1615, Joseph Hall, Contemplations vpon the Principal Passages of the Holie Historie, London: Nathanael Butter and William Butler, Volume 3, “Ehud and Eglon,” p. 48, Euery circumstance is full of improbabilities: Faith euermore ouerlookes the difficulties of the way, & bends her eyes onely to the certainty of the end.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: take no notice of, brush off, discount, disregard, dissemble, despise, ignore, misheed, misregard, neglect, pass, pass by, pay no heed, put aside, set at nought, shrug off, slough, tune out, unheed, unmind

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To look down upon from above or from a higher location.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The hill overlooks the valley.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: survey, look over, luster, lustrate

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To supervise, oversee; to watch over.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

Qualifier: sometimes non-native speakers' English

Examples

  • to overlook a gang of laborers
  • to overlook one who is writing a letter

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To observe or watch (someone or something) surreptitiously or secretly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

Examples

  • 1724, Aaron Hill, The Plain Dealer, No. 33, 13 July, 1724, The Plain Dealer, London: S. Richardson and A. Wilde, 1730, p. 269, I lean’d back in my Chair, and overlook’d what he was doing.—But, as if the young Rogue had had Eyes in his Elbows, he broke off what he had begun, and writ, thus, in a new Place.—If an impertinent Old Fellow, that sits by me, did not overlook what I am writing, I should have told you a pleasant Secret
  • 1839, J. Sheridan Le Fanu, “Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter” in The Watcher and Other Weird Stories, London: Downey, 1894, p. 133, The artist turned sharply round, and now for the first time became aware that his labours had been overlooked by a stranger.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To inspect (something); to examine; to look over carefully or repeatedly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

Examples

  • 1602, Thomas Lodge (translator), The Famous and Memorable Workes of Iosephus, London: G. Bishop et al., Book 5, Chapter 2, p. 109, [...] this was one of those spies which Moses sent to ouerlooke the land of Chanaan.
  • 1752, Arthur Murphy, The Gray’s Inn Journal No. 21, London: P. Vaillant, 1756, p. 138, As the Meanness of my Education had hindered me from knowing any Thing of Law Affairs, I got my two Companions to overlook the Mortgage Deed, and with their Advice signed it [...]

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: scrutinize, analyze, check, canvass, examine, inspect, thresh, look over, luster, lustrate, overlook, probe, scrutinate, study, survey

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To look upon with an evil eye; to bewitch by looking upon; to fascinate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

a high place affording a good view

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: topographic point, place, spot

11

verb

Meaning 11

leave undone or leave out

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • How could I miss that typo?
  • The workers on the conveyor belt miss one out of ten

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: neglect, pretermit, omit, drop, miss, leave out, overleap

Antonyms: none provided

Narrower terms: forget, jump, pass over, skip, skip over

12

verb

Meaning 12

watch over

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • I am overlooking her work

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: survey

13

verb

Meaning 13

look past, fail to notice

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: miss, lose

14

verb

Meaning 14

look down on

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The villa dominates the town

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dominate, command, overtop

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: lie

Narrower terms: shadow, overshadow, dwarf

15

verb

Meaning 15

be oriented in a certain direction

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The house looks out on a tennis court
  • The apartment overlooks the Hudson

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: look out on, look out over, look across

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: lie

History

Etymology

From Middle English overloken; equivalent to over- + look.

Across languages

Translations

132 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: гледка (gledka) — vista or point
  • Chinese Mandarin: 高處 /高处 (gāochù) — vista or point
  • Czech: vyhlídka — vista or point
  • Dutch: uitkijkpunt — vista or point
  • Finnish: näköalapaikka — vista or point
  • French: vue — vista or point
  • French: panorama — vista or point
  • German: Übersicht — vista or point
  • German: Überblick — vista or point
  • Hungarian: kilátó — vista or point
  • Japanese: 高所 (kōsho) — vista or point
  • Polish: punkt widokowy — vista or point
  • Portuguese: vista — vista or point
  • Portuguese: mirante — vista or point
  • Russian: обзо́р (obzór) — vista or point
  • Russian: вид (vid) — vista or point
  • Spanish: mirador — vista or point
  • Bulgarian: гледам отвисоко (gledam otvisoko) — to offer a view of something from a higher position
  • Chinese Mandarin: 俯瞰 (fǔkàn) — to offer a view of something from a higher position
  • Chinese Mandarin: 俯视 (fǔshì) — to offer a view of something from a higher position
  • French: surplomber — to offer a view of something from a higher position
  • Hungarian: néz — to offer a view of something from a higher position
  • Hungarian: nyílik — to offer a view of something from a higher position
  • Italian: affacciarsi — to offer a view of something from a higher position
  • Māori: whakakaurera — to offer a view of something from a higher position
  • Bulgarian: недоглеждам (nedogleždam) — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Catalan: passar per alt — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Chinese Mandarin: 忽略 (hūlüè) — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Chinese Mandarin: 漏掉 (lòudiào) — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Czech: přehlédnout — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Dutch: over het hoofd zien — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Esperanto: preteratenti — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Finnish: jättää huomaamatta — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Finnish: olla huomaamatta — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Finnish: jäädä huomaamatta — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • French: négliger — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • French: louper — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Galician: pasar por alto — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • German: nicht bemerken — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • German: übersehen — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Ancient Greek: περιοράω (perioráō) — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Ancient Greek: παροράω (paroráō) — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Ancient Greek: ὑπερβλέπω (huperblépō) — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Hungarian: elnéz — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Hungarian: elkerüli a figyelmét — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Hungarian: nem vesz észre — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Hungarian: elsiklik/átsiklik ...... fölött (a figyelme) — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Italian: ignorare — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Italian: trascurare — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Italian: sottovalutare — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Japanese: 見落とす (miotosu) — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Japanese: 見逃す (minogasu) — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Latin: omittō — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Māori: kape — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Norwegian Bokmål: overse — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Polish: przeoczać — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Polish: przeoczyć — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Polish: przegapiać — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Polish: przegapić — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Portuguese: desperceber — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Romanian: trece cu vederea — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Russian: не заме́тить (ne zamétitʹ) — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Russian: просмотре́ть (prosmotrétʹ) — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Russian: пропусти́ть (propustítʹ) — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Russian: упусти́ть из ви́ду (upustítʹ iz vídu) — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Serbo-Croatian: previdjeti — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Spanish: pasar por alto — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Spanish: pasársele de alto — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Swedish: förbise — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Thai: มองข้าม — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Turkish: gözden kaçırmak — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Vietnamese: bỏ qua — to fail to notice; to look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it
  • Arabic: صَفَحَ (ṣafaḥa) — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Bulgarian: не обръщам внимание (ne obrǎštam vnimanie) — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Chinese Mandarin: 放過 /放过 (fàngguò) — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Czech: přehlížet — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Dutch: door de vingers zien — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Egyptian: wAH-H-Y1V (wꜣḥ) — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Finnish: katsoa läpi sormien — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • French: passer outre — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • German: übersehen — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Ancient Greek: παροράω (paroráō) — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Hungarian: elnéz — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Hungarian: szemet huny — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Italian: lasciar passare — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Kannada: ಕಡೆಗಣಿಸು (kaḍegaṇisu) — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Māori: kape — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Māori: whakangongo — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Norwegian Bokmål: overse — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Occitan: deissar passar — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Portuguese: deixar passar — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Russian: смотре́ть сквозь па́льцы (smotrétʹ skvozʹ pálʹcy) — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Russian: проща́ть (proščátʹ) — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Russian: игнори́ровать (ignorírovatʹ) — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Spanish: pasar por alto — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Spanish: hacer la vista gorda — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Spanish: dejar pasar por alto — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Spanish: no tener en cuenta — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Swedish: se genom fingrarna. ha överseende med — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Thai: มองข้าม — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Turkish: gözardı etmek — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Turkish: göz yummak — to pretend not to have noticed; to pass over without censure or punishment
  • Finnish: katsoa ylhäältä — to look down upon from a place that is over or above
  • Finnish: katsella ylhäältä — to look down upon from a place that is over or above
  • German: überblicken — to look down upon from a place that is over or above
  • German: überschauen — to look down upon from a place that is over or above
  • Swedish: se ner över — to look down upon from a place that is over or above
  • Bulgarian: надзиравам (nadziravam) — to supervise; to watch over
  • Chinese Mandarin: 監視 /监视 (jiānshì) — to supervise; to watch over
  • Finnish: valvoa — to supervise; to watch over
  • French: surveiller — to supervise; to watch over
  • French: superviser — to supervise; to watch over
  • German: überblicken — to supervise; to watch over
  • Italian: supervisionare — to supervise; to watch over
  • Latin: aspectol — to supervise; to watch over
  • Russian: надзира́ть (nadzirátʹ) — to supervise; to watch over
  • Russian: присма́тривать (prismátrivatʹ) — to supervise; to watch over
  • Serbo-Croatian: nadgledati — to supervise; to watch over
  • Swedish: övervaka — to supervise; to watch over
  • Turkish: hâkim olmak — to supervise; to watch over
  • Bulgarian: преглеждам (pregleždam) — to inspect; to examine; to look over carefully or repeatedly
  • French: surveiller — to inspect; to examine; to look over carefully or repeatedly
  • French: superviser — to inspect; to examine; to look over carefully or repeatedly
  • Italian: ispezionare — to inspect; to examine; to look over carefully or repeatedly
  • Latin: aspecto — to inspect; to examine; to look over carefully or repeatedly
  • Serbo-Croatian: nadgledati — to inspect; to examine; to look over carefully or repeatedly
  • Spanish: otear — to inspect; to examine; to look over carefully or repeatedly
  • Swedish: se över — to inspect; to examine; to look over carefully or repeatedly
  • Spanish: atalayar — to observe or watch surreptitiously or secretly
  • French: négliger — to look upon with an evil eye; to bewitch by looking upon; to fascinate
  • French: prendre à la légère — to look upon with an evil eye; to bewitch by looking upon; to fascinate
  • Russian: сгла́зить (sglázitʹ) — to look upon with an evil eye; to bewitch by looking upon; to fascinate
Real reading context

overlook in complete knowledge articles

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