ignore

verb

ig·​nore ig-ˈnȯr 

ignored; ignoring

transitive verb

1

: to refuse to take notice of

2

: to reject (a bill of indictment) as ungrounded

ignorable

ig-ˈnȯr-ə-bəl 

adjective

ignorer noun

Synonyms

• bypass
• disregard
• forget
• neglect
• overlook
• overpass
• pass over
• slight
• slur (over)

Choose the Right Synonym for ignore

neglect, disregard, ignore, overlook, slight, forget mean to pass over without giving due attention.

neglect implies giving insufficient attention to something that merits one's attention.

habitually neglected his studies

disregard suggests voluntary inattention.

disregarded the wishes of his family

ignore implies a failure to regard something obvious.

ignored the snide remark

overlook suggests disregarding or ignoring through haste or lack of care.

in my rush I overlooked a key example

slight implies contemptuous or disdainful disregarding or omitting.

slighted several major authors in her survey

forget may suggest either a willful ignoring or a failure to impress something on one's mind.

forget what others say

Examples of ignore in a Sentence

She tried to ignore him but he wouldn't leave her alone.

I'll ignore that last remark.

If we continue to ignore these problems they will only get worse.

They ignored the warning signs.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Commission has posed such bans in the past, consistently ignored by the Department of Fish and Wildlife. —Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 26 Apr. 2024

At face value, the study seems to indicate that higher weight may provide a protective element later in life, but endocrinologists and geriatricians caution that BMI is an imperfect metric that ignores body composition. —Rachel Murphy, Verywell Health, 25 Apr. 2024

That is, force this country to face issues that many would prefer to ignore or dismiss. —Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024

Campaign Joe tells stories on the trail that Foreign Policy Joe’s staff then has to clean up — or try to ignore as best as possible. —Peter Baker, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2024

His athletic potential and his 2022 tape will be hard to ignore. —Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2024

During the trial, defense attorney Alan Jackson urged jurors to ignore their testimony. —Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Apr. 2024

For the second year in a row, the Clippers guard was not among the three finalists for the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award and the snub was too much to ignore. —Janis Carr, Orange County Register, 23 Apr. 2024

Policymakers’ natural confidence and enviable optimism about the efficacy of their own actions may invite them to focus on the upsides of disclosures while ignoring or rationalizing away the dangers. —David V. Gioe, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

obsolete ignore to be ignorant of, from French ignorer, from Latin ignorare, from ignarus ignorant, unknown, from in- + gnoscere, noscere to know — more at know

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

ignore

verb

ig·​nore ig-ˈnō(ə)r 

-ˈnȯ(ə)r

ignored; ignoring

: to refuse to notice : pay no attention to

ignored his advice

ignorable

-ˈnō(ə)r-ə-bəl 

-ˈnȯ(ə)r-

adjective

ignorer noun