Overlook meaning in English
Learn how to use Overlook correctly with Gymglish.
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Definition
(My apartment) overlooks (a sock factory): (My apartment) has a view of, is above (a sock factory)
(I'll) overlook (your mistake this time): (I'll) ignore, excuse, disregard, forgive (your mistake this time)
I will overlook this incident this time, but if it happens again there will be trouble.
(I) overlook (his work): (I) supervise, monitor, keep and eye on (his work)
Pronunciation examples
UK: Your house overlooks a chemical plant. How horrible!
US: I'll overlook that insult this time, but next time I'll break your legs!
Examples
- "It's not as if workers' rights are being totally overlooked in the US;"
- "The first apartment did not have a kitchenette, just a large sink on the floor of the living room. I presume the noisy basketball court it overlooked was the "shared garden" to which you referred."
Exercise 1
Luna writes that one of the apartments she visited "overlooked a noisy basketball court".
The verb "to overlook" has several meanings. Choose the sentence(s) from the list below which use(s) the verb correctly.
There may be more than one correct answer!
The verb "to overlook" has several meanings. Choose the sentence(s) from the list below which use(s) the verb correctly.
There may be more than one correct answer!
Luna writes that one of the apartments she visited "overlooked a noisy basketball court".
The verb "to overlook" has several meanings. Choose the sentence(s) from the list below which use(s) the verb correctly.
There may be more than one correct answer!
The verb "to overlook" has several meanings. Choose the sentence(s) from the list below which use(s) the verb correctly.
There may be more than one correct answer!
The verb "to overlook" can describe the act of overseeing or supervising. In this context, we are describing Bruno's role as the manager or supervisor of Susie's project. Note that this is one of the less common uses of the term, and we often use "oversee" or "supervise" to express this idea.
The verb "to overlook" (in this context) describes a place which is located above another, and provides a view upon the lower location. For example: The Eiffel Tower overlooks the Champs de Mars. In this email, Luna refers to an apartment which overlooks a basketball court, meaning that the apartment is located above a basketball court, and provides a view of it. This is one of the most common uses of the verb "to overlook".
The verb "to overlook" can describe the act of "ignoring" or "neglecting" something, intentionally or unintentionally. In this sentence, the speaker expresses that he will ignore a mistake deliberately, or not take it into account on this occasion. Note that we can also use "overlook" to signal "missing" something unintentionally: I can't believe I overlooked these typos!
The verb "to overlook" can't be used to describe the act of searching, or looking for something. "Looking" is a more appropriate choice in this sentence.
Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks below using terms that were used in this article.
This term describes the act of lowering (the head) in a sudden movement, or evading something. "I'm very tall, so I often have to otherwise I hit my head on the top of the door frame."
(Hint: Located in the 1st paragraph)
This informal term describes advantages or benefits which some employees get for working for a company. "The best part about my job are the . I get a company car, a laptop, and free chocolate cake in the staff canteen."
(Hint: Located in the 5th paragraph)
This term means "failing to notice", in the sense of ignoring or disregarding something. "We must not the fact that the price of fossil fuels will continue to rise."
(Hint: Located in the 5th paragraph)
This term describes the act of lowering (the head) in a sudden movement, or evading something. "I'm very tall, so I often have to otherwise I hit my head on the top of the door frame."
(Hint: Located in the 1st paragraph)
This informal term describes advantages or benefits which some employees get for working for a company. "The best part about my job are the . I get a company car, a laptop, and free chocolate cake in the staff canteen."
(Hint: Located in the 5th paragraph)
This term means "failing to notice", in the sense of ignoring or disregarding something. "We must not the fact that the price of fossil fuels will continue to rise."
(Hint: Located in the 5th paragraph)
Fill in the blanks below using terms that were used in this article.
This term describes the act of lowering (the head) in a sudden movement, or evading something. "I'm very tall, so I often have to duck 1 otherwise I hit my head on the top of the door frame."
(Hint: Located in the 1st paragraph)
This informal term describes advantages or benefits which some employees get for working for a company. "The best part about my job are the perks 2. I get a company car, a laptop, and free chocolate cake in the staff canteen."
(Hint: Located in the 5th paragraph)
This term means "failing to notice", in the sense of ignoring or disregarding something. "We must not overlook 3 the fact that the price of fossil fuels will continue to rise."
(Hint: Located in the 5th paragraph)
This term describes the act of lowering (the head) in a sudden movement, or evading something. "I'm very tall, so I often have to duck 1 otherwise I hit my head on the top of the door frame."
(Hint: Located in the 1st paragraph)
This informal term describes advantages or benefits which some employees get for working for a company. "The best part about my job are the perks 2. I get a company car, a laptop, and free chocolate cake in the staff canteen."
(Hint: Located in the 5th paragraph)
This term means "failing to notice", in the sense of ignoring or disregarding something. "We must not overlook 3 the fact that the price of fossil fuels will continue to rise."
(Hint: Located in the 5th paragraph)
1 duck: This is the correct answer. To "duck" means to lower the head or body, generally to avoid being hit in the head. For example: I had to duck to avoid the three ducks that were flying towards me. In the article, Jackie Hasselhoff says "we have to duck to avoid rotten fruit thrown by angry onlookers", this means that the union members had to move their heads quickly, otherwise they would have been hit on the head with old fruit.
2 perks: This is correct. A "perk" is an informal term which describes a benefit or advantage given to an employee by a company, in addition to their salary or pay. This could be anything from a company car to stock options, for example. In the text, economist Adam F Symthe mentions "the perks that a dotcom like Doodle provides for its staff". This means that a young Internet company like Doodle is able to give its staff a lot of advantages (free meals, childcare, dry cleaning services, gold-leafed toilet paper, etc).
3 overlook: This is correct. In this context, to "overlook (a detail)" means to fail to notice or remark a detail. For example: When I write emails I always overlook spelling mistakes. The article states "it's not as if workers' rights are being totally overlooked in the US", this means that despite the decline of the labor unions in the US, the rights of workers are not being ignored or disregarded. Note that several other meanings of "overlook" exist in English.
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