lookout
gb/lˈʊkˌaʊt/ us/lˈʊkˌaʊt/
B1
English
~ 10000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
person who watches for danger
A person who watches for danger or for something to come and tells other people about it.
Usage pattern:
[someone] acts as a lookout for [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "lookout" (one word, a person who watches) with the phrase "look out" (two words), which is an exclamation meaning "be careful" or a verb phrase meaning "to watch for something."
Synonyms
watchman (Often suggests someone officially employed to guard or keep watch, slightly more formal or old-fashioned.)
Antonyms
bystander (A person who is present but not actively watching for danger or involved in events.)
Collocations
act as a lookout
|post a lookout
|station a lookout
|the ship's lookout
|a lookout on the roof
Themes
safety
|crime
|travel
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- They posted a lookout at the back door while the others went inside.
- The ship's lookout spotted the iceberg just in time.
- One of the gang members stayed outside as a lookout for the police.
- A security guard acted as a lookout near the entrance.
- He was arrested for serving as a lookout during the robbery.
Learner examples
- A lookout watched the street for police cars.
- They asked Tom to be the lookout while they went into the building.
- The lookout shouted when he saw a strange car.
- On the ship, the lookout saw smoke on the horizon.
- The thieves used a young boy as their lookout.
Noun
B1
action
2
act of watching for danger
The act of watching carefully for danger or for something to come.
Usage pattern:
keep a lookout for [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"keep lookout"* without an article. In most cases, natural English uses "keep a lookout" or the phrase "be on the lookout."
Synonyms
watch (A general word for the act of looking carefully; may sound slightly broader and less focused on danger.)
Antonyms
inattention (Describes not paying attention or not watching carefully, the opposite of keeping a lookout.)
Collocations
keep a lookout
|keep a sharp lookout
|constant lookout
|a careful lookout
|on the lookout for trouble
Themes
safety
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Please keep a lookout for the delivery truck while I’m in the kitchen.
- The guards kept a sharp lookout for any sign of movement.
- We maintained a constant lookout for storms as we crossed the mountains.
- Parents are urged to keep a lookout for any unusual symptoms.
- Neighbors agreed to keep a lookout during the holiday weekend.
Learner examples
- I will keep a lookout for your friends at the station.
- The police told us to keep a sharp lookout for the missing boy.
- We kept a lookout for dark clouds in the sky.
- She stood by the window and kept a lookout for his car.
- Please keep a lookout so the dog does not run away.
unknown
B1
entity
3
place for viewing an area
A high place where people can stand and see a wide view of the land or sea.
Usage pattern:
a lookout over [a place]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this sense with the person sense and say things like *"a lookout is watching the valley"* when they mean the viewing place. In this sense, a lookout is the place, not the person.
Synonyms
viewpoint (Common in travel and tourism English for a place with a good view; slightly more formal or guidebook-like.)
Antonyms
blindspot (A place or area that cannot be seen, the opposite of a place made for viewing a wide area.)
Collocations
scenic lookout
|mountain lookout
|roadside lookout
|hilltop lookout
|a lookout over the valley
Themes
travel
|nature
|geography
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We pulled over at a scenic lookout to take photos of the lake.
- There’s a small lookout on the trail where you can see the whole city.
- From the lookout, hikers get a clear view of the waterfall below.
- The road winds up to a lookout above the cliffs.
- Tourists crowded the mountain lookout at sunset.
Learner examples
- We stopped at a lookout to see the mountains.
- From the lookout, you can see the whole town.
- There is a small lookout next to the road.
- Many people go to the lookout to watch the sunset.
- The bus will stop at a lookout for ten minutes.
Noun
informal
C1
entity
4
someone's own responsibility or problem
A problem or responsibility that belongs to one person and not to other people.
Usage pattern:
[something] is [someone]'s lookout
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes try to use this sense without the possessive, saying *"that is lookout"*. Natural English almost always uses a possessive: "that’s your lookout," "that’s his lookout," etc. This sense is also more common in British than American English.
Synonyms
responsibility (More general and neutral; "lookout" in this sense is informal and can sound a bit cold or unsympathetic.)
Antonyms
not my problem (An informal phrase expressing the opposite attitude: that something is not your responsibility or concern.)
Collocations
that's your lookout
|that's his lookout
|it's her own lookout
|their lookout, not ours
Themes
relationships
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- If he wants to quit school, that’s his lookout.
- It’s your lookout if you don’t want to take the advice.
- She said it was my lookout if I chose to ignore the warning.
- If they miss the deadline, that’s their lookout, not ours.
- You can lend him the money if you like, but it’s your own lookout.
Learner examples
- If you go alone, that is your lookout.
- He doesn’t study, and that is his lookout.
- If she spends all her money, it is her own lookout.
- You can do it, but it is your lookout if something goes wrong.
- If they are late, that is their lookout.
Grammar
Dictionary form
lookout
IPA
GB/lˈʊkˌaʊt/
US/lˈʊkˌaʊt/
Syllables & stress
lookout (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (lookout)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: lookout
- Plural: lookouts
Word family
Expressions
keep a lookout
1/kˈip ə lˈʊkˌaʊt/
fixed phrase
watch carefully for something
To watch carefully for danger, trouble, or for something to come, usually while you are doing something else.
Examples
- I’ll drive while you keep a lookout for the restaurant sign.
- Could you keep a lookout for the courier while I’m upstairs?
- They kept a lookout for whales as the boat moved along the coast.
on the lookout
1/ˈɔn ðə lˈʊkˌaʊt/
idiom
actively watching for something
To be ready and watching carefully for danger, trouble, or for something you want to find.
Examples
- Police are on the lookout for a blue van with tinted windows.
- We’re always on the lookout for new talent.
- Be on the lookout for any suspicious activity near the entrance.