What does "outlook" mean?
A place from which something can be viewed.
Outlook
/ˈaʊtˌlʊk/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A place from which something can be viewed.
- Grammar: outlook is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: expectation, mindset, prospect, aftertime.
- Useful contrasts: negativity, pessimism, uncertainty.
- Usage evidence: The outlook for our business isn't good.
How to use "outlook"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "outlook" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "outlook" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "outlook" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "outlook" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "outlook" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "expectation" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "outlook", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A place from which something can be viewed.
"Perched on the edge of the cliff was a hidden outlook."
- 2 look; appearance Hong-Kong, colloquial, no-plural
"How ignorant you are! Admiring the outlook of a same sex person has nothing to do with gay! Some of my male friends admire Andy Lau's and Leslie Cheung's looks quite a lot, but unfortunately, they are NOT gay, not BI, they are totally STRAIGHT!"
- 3 the act of looking out wordnet
- 4 The view from such a place.
"Fully air-conditioned and fluorescently lit, it is strikingly decorated and there is a magnificent outlook through the wide windows."
- 5 belief about (or mental picture of) the future wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 An attitude or point of view.
"He has a positive outlook on life."
- 7 a habitual or characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations wordnet
- 8 Expectation for the future.
"The outlook for temperature rises is worrying."
Verb
- 1 To face or look in an outward direction. archaic, intransitive, literary
"This old man with the ſythe, olde father Tyme they call, / And hir his daughter Trueth, which holdeth yonder Booke, / Whome he out of his rocke hath brought forth to vs all, / From whence this many yeares ſhe durſt not once out looke."
- 2 To look at (someone) so long or intently that they look away; to win or prevail over (someone or something). archaic, transitive
"[...] I drew this gallant head of war, And cull’d these fiery spirits from the world, To outlook conquest and to win renown Even in the jaws of danger and of death."
- 3 To be more attractive than (someone or something). obsolete, transitive
"1731, Mary Delany, letter dated 4 October, 1731, in George Paston (ed.), Mrs. Delany (Mary Granville): A Memoir, 1700-1788, London: Grant Richards, 1900, p. 64, Nobody’s equipage outlooked ours except my Lord Lieutenant’s, but in every respect I must say Mrs. Clayton outshines her neighbours …"
- 4 To inspect throughly; to select. obsolete, transitive
"1689, Charles Cotton, “The Angler’s Ballad” in Poems on Several Occasions, London: Thomas Bassett et al., p. 76, Away to the Brook, All your Tackle out look, Here’s a day that is worth a year’s wishing; See that all things be right, For ’tis a very spight To want tools when a man goes a fishing."
- 5 To look beyond (something). obsolete, transitive
"[...] to fit minds to so even a temper, that both should round the same circle, and never out-look the Horizon of their reciprocal Interest, is a work altogether impossible."
Antonyms
Example
"The outlook for our business isn't good."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "outlook"?
Common synonyms include: expectation, mindset, prospect, aftertime, afteryears, airscape.
How do you use "outlook" in a sentence?
The outlook for our business isn't good.
How do you pronounce "outlook"?
Pronounced /ˈaʊtˌlʊk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From out- + look.
Etymology 2
From out + look. Perhaps influenced by Chinese 外表 (literally “outside + surface”) and English look (“appearance”). Same etymology as Cantonese outlook.