# lookout

/ˈɫʊˌkaʊt/ (US) · /lˈʊkaʊt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/lookout
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. a person on watch

noun · CEFR B2

a person who is responsible for watching for danger or for something approaching.

For teachers: a person stationed to keep watch for approaching danger, enemies, or specific events.

- The bank robbers left one man outside to act as a lookout for the police.
- The ship's lookout was the first to spot the distant lights of the harbour through the thick morning fog.

Usage: Often used with the indefinite article 'a'.

### 2. the act of watching

noun · CEFR B2

the act of watching carefully for something, often used in the phrase 'on the lookout'.

For teachers: the act or state of keeping a systematic watch for someone or something.

- You should be on the lookout for a blue car parked near the entrance.
- Security teams remained on the lookout for any suspicious activity during the high-profile political summit.

Usage: Commonly appears in the idiomatic phrase 'on the lookout for'.

### 3. a vantage point

noun · CEFR B2

a high place where you can see a long way, like a balcony or a hill.

For teachers: an elevated place or structure that affords a wide view of the surrounding area.

- We stopped at a mountain lookout to take photos of the valley below.
- The coastal lookout provided the rangers with an unobstructed view of the migrating whale pods.

### 4. personal concern

noun · CEFR C1 · British English · Informal

your own problem or responsibility.

For teachers: an individual's personal concern, prospect, or responsibility.

- If he chooses to ignore the warning, that is his lookout.
- The manager made it clear that if the staff failed to meet the deadline, it would be their own lookout during the performance review.

Teaching tip: This sense is primarily British and can sound slightly dismissive or cold.

## Examples

- The ship's lookout spotted land on the horizon.
- One person stayed by the door as a lookout while the others searched the room for the missing keys.
- From the rocky lookout at the summit, hikers can observe the entire valley stretching toward the coast, provided the morning mist has cleared sufficiently.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.