What does "overlook" mean?
Overlook: Hence: To supervise; to watch over; sometimes, to observe secretly; as, to overlook a gang of laborers; to overlook one who is writing a letter.
Additional senses
- 2.To inspect; to examine; to look over carefully or repeatedly. "Overlook this pedigree." Shak. The time and care that are required To overlook and file and polish well. Roscommon.
- 3.To look upon with an evil eye; to bewitch by looking upon; to fascinate. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Shak. If you trouble me I will overlook you, and then your pigs will die. C. Kingsley.
- 4.To look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it; to miss or omit in looking; hence, to refrain from bestowing notice or attention upon; to neglect; to pass over without censure or punishment; to excuse. The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. Acts xvii. 30 (Rev. Ver. ) They overlook truth in the judgments they pass. Atterbury. The pardoning and overlooking of faults. Addison.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00