overlook
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to miss something by accident or not see a detail.
v.to fail to notice or consider something, often due to lack of attention or oversight.
Simple“I am sorry I overlooked your name on the guest list yesterday.”
In context“In their haste to complete the audit, the accountants overlooked several minor discrepancies that later proved to be significant.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to see a mistake but decide to ignore it or not punish the person.
v.to deliberately ignore a minor offence or error rather than providing censure.
Simple“The teacher decided to overlook his lateness because it was his first time.”
In context“While the manager was willing to overlook a single instance of tardiness, she could not ignore a consistent pattern of unprofessional behaviour.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
v.to be in a high place that looks down over something else.
v.to provide a view from a higher physical position.
Simple“Our hotel room overlooks the beautiful blue ocean.”
In context“The penthouse apartment overlooks the entire city skyline, offering residents an unobstructed view of the sunset every evening.”
Synonymsfacelook out on - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a high place where people can stop to look at a view.
n.a designated place or high point that affords a wide view of the landscape below.
Simple“We stopped at the mountain overlook to take some photos of the valley.”
In context“The hiking trail culminates at a rocky overlook where visitors can observe the confluence of the two rivers.”
Synonyms - 05 C1 Advanced
v.to watch over or manage a piece of work.
v.to supervise or oversee a task or group of people.
Simple“In the old story, the master stayed to overlook the building of the ship.”
In context“The foreman was appointed to overlook the masonry work, ensuring that every stone was laid according to the architect's specific instructions.”
UsageIn modern English, 'oversee' is almost always used instead of 'overlook' for this meaning.
“Public debate not only misunderstands who uses social care, it often overlooks what social care makes possible.”
“The River Eden runs along the bottom of her garden, which overlooks the ruins of a castle built, as legend has it, by King Arthur’s father.”
From Middle English overloken; equivalent to over- + look.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.