Library / English Dictionary

OVERLOOK

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A high place affording a good view

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Hypernyms ("overlook" is a kind of...):

place; spot; topographic point (a point located with respect to surface features of some region)

Derivation:

overlook (look down on)

overlook (be oriented in a certain direction)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Leave undone or leave out

Example:

The workers on the conveyor belt miss one out of ten

Synonyms:

drop; leave out; miss; neglect; omit; overleap; overlook; pretermit

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "overlook"):

forget (forget to do something)

jump; pass over; skip; skip over (bypass)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE

Sense 2

Meaning:

Watch over

Example:

I am overlooking her work

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Hypernyms (to "overlook" is one way to...):

survey (look over carefully or inspect)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 3

Meaning:

Look past, fail to notice

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Hypernyms (to "overlook" is one way to...):

lose; miss (fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 4

Meaning:

Look down on

Example:

The villa dominates the town

Synonyms:

command; dominate; overlook; overtop

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "overlook" is one way to...):

lie (be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "overlook"):

dwarf; overshadow; shadow (make appear small by comparison)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

overlook (a high place affording a good view)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Be oriented in a certain direction

Example:

The apartment overlooks the Hudson

Synonyms:

look across; look out on; look out over; overlook

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "overlook" is one way to...):

lie (be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

overlook (a high place affording a good view)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Hand washing is one of the most effective and most overlooked ways to stop disease.

(Germs and Hygiene, NIH)

Others suggest that these studies may overlook factors that would explain the obesity advantage, or that normal weight patients have some unrecognized problem, Dr. Neeland said.

(Mildly Obese Fare Better after Major Heart Attack, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

A systematic review of source code intended to find and fix mistakes possibly overlooked in the initial development phase.

(Device Source Code Review Evaluation Method, Food and Drug Administration)

Elinor has not my feelings, and therefore she may overlook it, and be happy with him.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Mr. Elton's manners are not perfect, replied Emma; but where there is a wish to please, one ought to overlook, and one does overlook a great deal.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

I hope he will overlook it.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

The daily appearance of a brougham and pair could hardly have been overlooked in such Sleepy Hollows.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A buildup of planets in Pisces will coax you to be near water, so book a small hotel in a sunny climate overlooking powdery white sands, turquoise waters, and swaying palm trees.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Oxo lies near the 0 degree meridian that defines the edge of many Ceres maps, making this small feature easy to overlook.

(New Ceres Images Show Bright Craters, NASA)

Soil's role is often overlooked in this type of assessment.

(Corn better used as food than biofuel, National Science Foundation)