overlook
pronunciation
How to pronounce overlook in British English:
UK [ˌəʊvəˈlʊk]
How to pronounce overlook in American English:
US [ˌoʊvərˈlʊk]
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- Noun:
- a high place affording a good view
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- Verb:
- look past, fail to notice
- be oriented in a certain direction
- leave undone or leave out
- look down on
- watch over
Word Origin
- overlook (v.)
- mid-14c., "to examine, scrutinize, inspect," from over- + look (v.). Another Middle English sense was "to peer over the top of." These two literal senses have given rise to the two main modern meanings. Meaning "to look over or beyond and thus not see," via notion of "to choose to not notice" is first recorded 1520s. Seemingly contradictory sense of "to watch over officially, keep an eye on, superintend" is from 1530s. Related: Overlooked; overlooking. In Shekaspeare's day, overlooking also was a common term for "inflicting the evil eye on" (someone or something).
Antonym
Example
- 1. But the journal article seems to overlook one important factor .
- 2. A further problem is that investors overlook the fundamentals .
- 3. So don 't overlook countertops , stairwells or even the balcony .
- 4. The best suites will overlook an atrium , where robotic squirrels will be the floor show .
- 5. Victorian houses also line up the hillside streets and overlook a huge blue bay surrounded by mountains .