overlook 1 of 2

verb

ˌō-vər-ˈlu̇k How to pronounce overlook (audio)
Definition of overlooknext
1
as in to dominate
to look down on the fortress overlooks the city

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to ignore
to fail to give proper attention to you've overlooked your chores again this week

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to supervise
to be in charge of you'll be asked to overlook larger projects in the future

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to possess
to cast a spell on the superstitious grandmother actually believed that the baby had been overlooked by a gypsy woman

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to examine
to look over closely (as for judging quality or condition) quickly overlooked the table of used books to see if there was anything of value

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to forgive
to dismiss as of little importance definitely not the kind of spouse to overlook even a single instance of marital infidelity

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in to manage
to look after and make decisions about the engineer hired to overlook the construction of the canal

Synonyms & Similar Words

overlook

2 of 2

noun

ˈō-vər-ˌlu̇k How to pronounce overlook (audio)
as in lookout
a high place or structure from which a wide view is possible just down the road there's a great overlook where you can get a panoramic view of the valley below

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word overlook distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of overlook are disregard, forget, ignore, neglect, and slight. While all these words mean "to pass over without giving due attention," overlook suggests disregarding or ignoring through haste or lack of care.

in my rush I overlooked a key example

When would disregard be a good substitute for overlook?

While in some cases nearly identical to overlook, disregard suggests voluntary inattention.

disregarded the wishes of his family

When is it sensible to use forget instead of overlook?

While the synonyms forget and overlook are close in meaning, forget may suggest either a willful ignoring or a failure to impress something on one's mind.

forget what others say

Where would ignore be a reasonable alternative to overlook?

The words ignore and overlook can be used in similar contexts, but ignore implies a failure to regard something obvious.

ignored the snide remark

When is neglect a more appropriate choice than overlook?

The words neglect and overlook are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, neglect implies giving insufficient attention to something that merits one's attention.

habitually neglected his studies

When can slight be used instead of overlook?

In some situations, the words slight and overlook are roughly equivalent. However, slight implies contemptuous or disdainful disregarding or omitting.

slighted several major authors in her survey

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of overlook
Verb
Medicaid also has a critical but overlooked role as the largest payer of mental health and substance use treatment services. —Bhavya Ancha, Baltimore Sun, 7 June 2025 Donald Kogan, Boca Raton Arabs are overlooked Since April 2023, 150,000 Arabs have been killed, 11 million have been misplaced, and another 26 million face acute food shortages. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 7 June 2025
Noun
Photo : Noel Kleinman A lounging perch overlooks cinematic mountain views stretching over Laurel and Mulholland canyons. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 29 May 2025 But hitting a section of the paved Empire State Trail to the new Sojourner Truth State Park river overlook is ideal for a long walk with your hound. —John Oseid, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for overlook
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overlook
  1. dominate
  2. ignore
  3. supervise
  4. possess
  5. examine
  6. forgive
  7. manage
  8. lookout
Verb
  • However, as Ventura and others have stated, that shifted over time and the accused appeared to employ old school pimp tactics to control and totally dominated the woman.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 June 2025
  • The pop icons are already dominating iTunes this Friday (June 6), as Americans once again rush to buy music by the Backstreet Boys en masse.
    — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Definition of dominate
Verb
  • What can also be said with certainty, however, is that — even ignoring, for one moment, the events that brought him to Chelmsford crown court in Essex, east of London — this is a story of what might have been.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 6 June 2025
  • And while the shelter has been sharing his story for months now, the cat with soulful eyes keeps getting ignored.
    — TJ Macias, Miami Herald, 5 June 2025
Definition of ignore
Verb
  • Kim also supervised test-firings of missiles from the destroyer afterward, and state media said the ship was expected to enter active duty early next year.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 June 2025
  • There would also be logistical questions to address, including who's responsible for supervising students if they are made to leave their classroom during certain lessons and how to select alternative material that is inoffensive to their parents.
    — BrieAnna J. Frank, USA Today, 3 June 2025
Definition of supervise
Verb
  • No monarch ever actually possessed a divine touch (or donkey ears), but historical records indicate at least two men with the name Midas oversaw the Phrygian kingdom during the first millennium BCE.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 12 June 2025
  • The Solar Orbiter observations also revealed that while the equator of the sun, where the most sunspots appear, possesses the strongest magnetic fields, those at the poles of our star have a complex and ever-changing structure.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 11 June 2025
Definition of possess
Verb
  • The researchers also examined more than 2,700 genomes of modern plague samples from Asia, Africa, and North and South America.
    — Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 3 June 2025
  • The researchers examined data from the U.S. Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network between 2004 and 2022.
    — Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 2 June 2025
Definition of examine
Verb
  • Employees trust them more, and citizens are more likely to forgive their mistakes.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
  • The Biden administration's efforts to forgive large swaths of student debt, including plans to help reduce monthly payments for struggling borrowers, were largely stymied in court.
    — Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 7 June 2025
Definition of forgive
Verb
  • Ghibli managed to do it in a way that was relatively independent and unsullied of that business.
    — Ryan Gaur, IndieWire, 10 June 2025
  • Kieran manages to survive, and Sean is finally held accountable and arrested for the deaths of Gabby Birch and Bronte Laidler.
    — Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Definition of manage
Noun
  • According to Devlin’s report, Shoemaker-Gonzalez stole the man’s Toyota RAV4 and headed toward Bristol where police were told to be on the lookout around 12:20 p.m. for a vehicle taken during a carjacking involving a suspect armed with a knife.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 21 May 2025
  • At the end, stop with the family to enjoy a lookout point with a beautiful view of San Elijo Lagoon.
    — Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 May 2025
Definition of lookout

Browse Nearby Words

overlong
overlook
overlooked
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overlook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overlook. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.

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