overlooked
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to miss something by accident or fail to see it.
v.to fail to notice, perceive, or consider something, often due to a lack of attention.
Simple“I was so busy that I overlooked a few small mistakes in the report.”
In context“The investigators admitted they had overlooked several crucial pieces of evidence during the initial sweep of the crime scene.”
UsageTransitive; always takes a direct object.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to choose to ignore a mistake or bad behaviour.
v.to deliberately ignore or condone an offence or error.
Simple“The teacher decided to overlook his lateness because he is usually on time.”
In context“The manager was willing to overlook minor procedural errors provided that the final output met the client's strict quality standards.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to be in a high place that looks down over something else.
v.to provide a view from a higher position; to look down upon from above.
Simple“Our hotel room overlooked the beautiful blue ocean.”
In context“The penthouse suite overlooked the entire city skyline, offering an unobstructed view of the cathedral and the river.”
Synonymsfacelook out on - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.describes something that people did not notice or did not give enough attention to.
adj.referring to something that has been missed, ignored, or not given its due importance.
Simple“She felt like an overlooked member of the team despite her hard work.”
In context“The documentary highlights the stories of overlooked female scientists whose contributions were ignored for decades.”
Antonyms
“Though her city is home to the country's largest port, she fears it will be overlooked in the broader recovery effort.”
“A fossil overlooked for nearly 80 years has revealed a previously unknown crocodile relative that lived 210 million years ago in what is now New Mexico.”
From over- + looked.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.