ignore

verb

ig·​nore ig-ˈnȯr How to pronounce ignore (audio)
ignored; ignoring

transitive verb

1
: to refuse to take notice of
2
: to reject (a bill of indictment) as ungrounded
ignorable adjective
ignorer noun
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 Britain’s Jonathan Glazer also ignores Godard’s lament in The Zone of Interest, an art-house curiosity in which Auschwitz is an offstage presence. Armond White, National Review, 20 Mar. 2024 His athletic potential and his 2022 tape will be hard to ignore. Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2024 Immediately following its release, across Instagram and Twitter opinions were hard to ignore. Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 19 Mar. 2024 While Brandon Aiyuk led all 49ers receivers with 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns, quarterback Brock Purdy certainly did not ignore Kittle (65-1,020-6) and Samuel (60-892-7). Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024 Security and foreign relations should remain within the purview of the president, while finance, administration, and reconstruction should fall under the prime minister, a balance that was supposed to be established 20 years ago but was ignored by Abbas. Raja Khalidi, Foreign Affairs, 19 Mar. 2024 The officer ignored him and continued speaking to me. Paul Tough, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024 But should ignoring crying babies be a governing principle in a business where their sole function is to take care of babies and children? Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2024 There's the medical side, where people are deferring or ignoring care because of bills and high cost. Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ignore.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of ignore was in 1801

Dictionary Entries Near ignore

Cite this Entry

“Ignore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ignore. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ignore

verb
ig·​nore ig-ˈnō(ə)r How to pronounce ignore (audio)
-ˈnȯ(ə)r
ignored; ignoring
: to refuse to notice : pay no attention to
ignored his advice
ignorable
-ˈnō(ə)r-ə-bəl How to pronounce ignore (audio)
-ˈnȯ(ə)r-
adjective
ignorer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on ignore

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!