ignore

Synonym Chooser

How is the word ignore distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of ignore are disregard, forget, neglect, overlook, and slight. While all these words mean "to pass over without giving due attention," ignore implies a failure to regard something obvious.

ignored the snide remark

When is disregard a more appropriate choice than ignore?

The words disregard and ignore are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, disregard suggests voluntary inattention.

disregarded the wishes of his family

When could forget be used to replace ignore?

Although the words forget and ignore have much in common, forget may suggest either a willful ignoring or a failure to impress something on one's mind.

forget what others say

When can neglect be used instead of ignore?

The synonyms neglect and ignore are sometimes interchangeable, but neglect implies giving insufficient attention to something that merits one's attention.

habitually neglected his studies

Where would overlook be a reasonable alternative to ignore?

The words overlook and ignore can be used in similar contexts, but overlook suggests disregarding or ignoring through haste or lack of care.

in my rush I overlooked a key example

When would slight be a good substitute for ignore?

While the synonyms slight and ignore are close in meaning, slight implies contemptuous or disdainful disregarding or omitting.

slighted several major authors in her survey

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ignore But the criticism was too vast to ignore, and like any smart business owner should, the chefs came up with a solution. Lyndsay C. Green, Freep.com, 25 Sep. 2025 What can no longer be ignored, however, is the loss of roughly a dozen years of experience in the secondary. Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025 Meanwhile, films with casts between 41-50 percent people of color grossed far more than the least diverse casts, a commercial reality Hollywood keeps ignoring. Rochée Jeffrey, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025 Most people ignore that feeling and get on the elevator anyway. Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 24 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ignore
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ignore
Verb
  • The four-pack comes with two 4-inch and two 5-inch candles, and each one requires AA batteries for a true set-it-and-forget-it setup.
    Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Defensive front is struggling versus the run The Dolphins lost an 18-year NFL veteran in Calais Campbell who has probably forgotten more football than his replacements (Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers) collectively know.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Soundcore Liberty 5 earbuds look a lot like the 2022-era Liberty 4, and while there are tweaks here and there, you'd be forgiven for confusing the two.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025
  • For those who spend hours at a standing desk, your knees and feet may not forgive you.
    Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The church later updated guidelines to instruct leaders never to disregard abuse reports and allowed minors to bring a parent or adult to private interviews with local bishops.
    Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Cook’s attorneys said the government was disregarding facts in her case.
    Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • At times, the officials handing out honors have been willing to overlook some bad behavior undertaken in the campaign against Castro.
    Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Photos show the couple posing on a balcony that overlooked the city lights.
    Michael Nied, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Does one just neglect the laundry, fur ball tumbleweeds from my winter-coat-shedding pup, and the cloudy glass shower door?
    Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The plan also mentions a long-term horizon for self-determination and the establishment of a Palestinian state – a point not raised in previous proposals, which mainly focused on ending the war in Gaza but neglected to include a longer-term pathway to statehood.
    Asher Kaufman, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Erika Kirk also explained why a small stuffed puppet was sitting beside Kirk’s empty microphone.
    Stephanie Murray, AZCentral.com, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Instead, Pittsburgh’s defense rested on the idea that the taxes equal out when considering the school-district tax—a point, as explained above, that failed to persuade the judges who have presided over this litigation.
    Robert Raiola, Sportico.com, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • On September 24, Judge Smith permanently enjoined DHS from enforcing broad new immigration compliance conditions on a wide range of preparedness grants, ruling the agency had exceeded its statutory authority and failed to justify departing from longstanding grant practices.
    Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Among customers and in financial markets, skepticism is rising as some question whether the massive investment in AI will ever be justified by revenues.
    Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • If Gaza does not count, then nothing does—and the crime of crimes becomes just another weapon for the powerful to excuse, ignore, or commit with impunity.
    Faisal Kutty, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
  • That’s not to excuse the personal foul on Talanoa Hufanga that handed Los Angeles 15 yards on its game-winning drive.
    Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ignore.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ignore. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on ignore

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