neglected

adjective

ne·​glect·​ed ni-ˈglek-təd 

: not given proper or necessary care or attention

neglected children

a neglected subject

a sadly neglected garden

Synonyms

• beat-up
• bombed-out
• dilapidated
• dog-eared
• down-at-the-heels
• down-at-heel
• down-at-the-heel
• down-at-heels
• dumpy
• grungy
• mangy
• mean
• miserable
• moth-eaten
• ratty
• run-down
• scrubby
• scruffy
• seedy
• shabby
• sleazy
• tacky
• tatterdemalion
• tatty
• threadbare
• timeworn
• tumbledown

Examples of neglected in a Sentence

a neglected teddy bear, missing one eye and both ears, shoved into the closet

Recent Examples on the Web

But the area where these cuts will be felt most acutely is with respect to elder abuse, which is already a neglected area of health care and social services. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025

By upcycling a neglected garment, Hirsch hopes to give someone the chance to experience the beauty and craftsmanship that goes into creating a piece. —Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 5 Apr. 2025

Some who have tolerated a static image on a neglected part of their screen may not be as accepting of more distracting ad formats. —Ars Technica, 17 Mar. 2025

This was to help end the puppy mill industry, where dogs are bred en masse, leading them to be born and raised in filthy and neglected conditions. —Andrew Sheeler, Sacramento Bee, 12 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of neglect entry 1

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for neglected

• affected
• bisected
• collected
• connected
• corrected
• defected
• deflected
• dejected
• detected
• directed
• dissected
• effected