look past
See beyond flaws
To look past something is to direct your gaze beyond it, but the phrase is far more common in its figurative sense: to overlook or disregard something, often a flaw or fault.
I'm willing to look past his rudeness because he's been under a lot of stress.
When you look past someone's shortcomings, you choose not to let them affect your judgment or relationship.
The phrase suggests deliberate tolerance rather than failure to notice.
- see beyondPerceive past obstacles
- go beyondExceed a limit
- ignoreRefuse to notice
- anticipateExpect beforehand
- transcendGo beyond limits
accept · tolerate · turn a blind eye · forgive · neglect · reconcile · let slide · gloss over · empathize · endure · let it go · see through · accommodate · disregard · brush aside · rationalize · understand · bypass
- endurancestamina, endure, perseverance, persistence, staying power
- idiomstime flies, hit the sack, seize the day, ring a bell, break a leg
- dismissingbrush aside, brush off, wave off, shrug off, blow off
look pastscrutinize
Inspect with close attention
focus on · zero in on · study · inspect · concentrate on
look pasthold against
Blame someone persistently for
dwell on · harp on · hold accountable · condemn · call out
look, past, looks, looked, looking, looker, overlook, outlook, onlooker