Overlook

easyNegative tone

oh-ver-LOOK

verb

Definition

To fail to notice or consider; to ignore deliberately

Memory hook

When you LOOK OVER something quickly, you might miss details — to overlook means to fail to notice.

See more GRE words with mnemonics.

Examples

The committee overlooked several important factors.
She was willing to overlook his minor faults.

Test yourself

Fill in the blank with the right word:

The committee ______ several important factors.
Show answer

overlooked

Synonyms

disregardneglectignoremiss

Antonyms

noticescrutinizeobserveheed

Categories

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GRE Tip

Overlook is a easy-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "disregard" or "neglect" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "notice".

Read: How to Memorize GRE Words That Actually Stick

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