# overlook

/ˈoʊvɝˌɫʊk/ (US)

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

## Senses

### 1. to fail to notice

verb · CEFR B1

to miss something by accident or not see a detail.

For teachers: to fail to notice or consider something, often due to lack of attention or oversight.

- I am sorry I overlooked your name on the guest list yesterday.
- In their haste to complete the audit, the accountants overlooked several minor discrepancies that later proved to be significant.

### 2. to forgive a mistake

verb · CEFR B2

to see a mistake but decide to ignore it or not punish the person.

For teachers: to deliberately ignore a minor offence or error rather than providing censure.

- The teacher decided to overlook his lateness because it was his first time.
- While the manager was willing to overlook a single instance of tardiness, she could not ignore a consistent pattern of unprofessional behaviour.

### 3. to have a view of

verb · CEFR B1

to be in a high place that looks down over something else.

For teachers: to provide a view from a higher physical position.

- Our hotel room overlooks the beautiful blue ocean.
- The penthouse apartment overlooks the entire city skyline, offering residents an unobstructed view of the sunset every evening.

### 4. a viewpoint

noun · CEFR B2 · American English

a high place where people can stop to look at a view.

For teachers: a designated place or high point that affords a wide view of the landscape below.

- We stopped at the mountain overlook to take some photos of the valley.
- The hiking trail culminates at a rocky overlook where visitors can observe the confluence of the two rivers.

### 5. to supervise

verb · CEFR C1 · Archaic

to watch over or manage a piece of work.

For teachers: to supervise or oversee a task or group of people.

- In the old story, the master stayed to overlook the building of the ship.
- The foreman was appointed to overlook the masonry work, ensuring that every stone was laid according to the architect's specific instructions.

Usage: In modern English, 'oversee' is almost always used instead of 'overlook' for this meaning.

## Examples

- We stopped at the overlook to see the valley below.
- The hiking trail ends at a rocky overlook that offers a panoramic view of the entire mountain range.
- From the granite overlook, the winding river appeared as a silver thread cutting through the dense canopy of the ancient forest below.

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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.