overlook

Everyday

1. To overlook something is to fail to notice it or to miss it. tree →
2. To overlook a mistake is to forgive it or decide not to punish it. tree →
3. If a building or window overlooks a place, you can see that place from it, from above. tree →
4. (US) An overlook is a high place where you stop to look at a view. tree →

In the lessons

In maths and checking work: «don't overlook the units» means don't miss them. In everyday life it can mean kindly ignoring a small fault. In stories and descriptions of places it shows what can be seen from a window or hill.

Examples

• Don't overlook the small print. tree →
• I overlooked one question on the test. tree →
• The teacher overlooked my late homework this time. tree →
• Our flat overlooks the park. tree →
• The castle overlooks the whole valley. tree →
• We stopped at a scenic overlook on the drive. tree →
• It's easy to overlook a decimal point. tree →
• Please overlook my messy writing. tree →
• He overlooked it in his haste to tell the glorious tidings. tree →

Note

Regular verb. Careful: «overlook» means MISS, while «oversee» means watch over and «look over» means check. A common trap: «overlook» does not mean to look carefully. In maths word problems, overlooking a step or unit leads to a wrong answer.

In Jewish tradition

In maths and checking work: «don't overlook the units» means don't miss them. In everyday life it can mean kindly ignoring a small fault. In stories and descriptions of places it shows what can be seen from a window or hill.

Examples

• In the first edition I overlooked this word three; and putting and for as, made four classes of serving beings. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) tree →

Note

Regular verb. Careful: «overlook» means MISS, while «oversee» means watch over and «look over» means check. A common trap: «overlook» does not mean to look carefully. In maths word problems, overlooking a step or unit leads to a wrong answer.