as in neglectful
failing to give proper care and attention
our chronically neglecting custodian has let trash accumulate around the warehouse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in ignoring
to fail to give proper attention to
as usual the news media neglected the real issues of the campaign and focused on personalities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in forgetting
to leave undone or unattended to especially through carelessness
I've neglected my garden, and now it's overgrown with weeds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in failing
to miss the opportunity or obligation
conveniently, the job applicant neglected to mention his criminal record
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 neglecting
Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Section 3 and 4 deal with people convicted of abusing, endangering, or neglecting children sharing a primary residence with a child, unless such person is the parent of the child.
—Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 3 Mar. 2026
But experts agree, caring for others shouldn’t mean neglecting self-care.
—Sierra Leone Starks, Parents, 3 Mar. 2026
The fear of uselessness explains why the banker Eric Tao (Ken Leung) leaves a cushy retirement to get back to finance, even at the cost of neglecting his kids.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
This was Arsenal’s existence in the late 2000s and early 2010s, building for a brighter future that never came, neglecting weaknesses in their team to add another beguiling young creative talent to their midfield or forward line.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
But congressional Democrats hammered the White House for neglecting to seek congressional authorization before taking military action.
—Dan Mangan,leslie Josephs,spencer Kimball,cj Haddad,justin Papp,jordan Novet, CNBC, 28 Feb. 2026
Placing fertilizer directly on leaves, near the trunk, or neglecting to water in the fertilizer can burn the plant.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
Yet many programs and policies that seek to address these issues overlook men, neglecting half of the planet.
—Kenneth H. Mayer, STAT, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
CapRadio has disputed allegations of neglecting the tower.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Section 3 and 4 deal with people convicted of abusing, endangering, or neglecting children sharing a primary residence with a child, unless such person is the parent of the child.
—Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 3 Mar. 2026
But experts agree, caring for others shouldn’t mean neglecting self-care.
—Sierra Leone Starks, Parents, 3 Mar. 2026
The fear of uselessness explains why the banker Eric Tao (Ken Leung) leaves a cushy retirement to get back to finance, even at the cost of neglecting his kids.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
This was Arsenal’s existence in the late 2000s and early 2010s, building for a brighter future that never came, neglecting weaknesses in their team to add another beguiling young creative talent to their midfield or forward line.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
But congressional Democrats hammered the White House for neglecting to seek congressional authorization before taking military action.
—Dan Mangan,leslie Josephs,spencer Kimball,cj Haddad,justin Papp,jordan Novet, CNBC, 28 Feb. 2026
Placing fertilizer directly on leaves, near the trunk, or neglecting to water in the fertilizer can burn the plant.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
Yet many programs and policies that seek to address these issues overlook men, neglecting half of the planet.
—Kenneth H. Mayer, STAT, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for neglecting
Adjective
-
Sid lives in the town of Matakana with her single, sometimes-neglectful alcoholic father Leo (Noah Taylor), who wanted to be a painter but now mows the lawns of rich neighbors and visiting Auckland rich boys occupying the beachfront mansions nearby in Omaha.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Dysfunctional families can look many different ways, but typically are controlling, secretive, neglectful, and uncommunicative.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That is it for Elena, who marches out of the galley and up the Katina’s many levels, storming past wide-eyed stews and unsuspecting guests, ignoring the fact that service has basically already started, in order to reach Jason on the sundeck.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Sable has been accused of repeatedly ignoring the directives of state and local officials, as well as committing criminal acts related to California environmental and coastal laws.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The crowd danced hard, forgetting about anything other than the magic of the moment.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Movie night meant a trip to the video store, and every household knew the agony of forgetting to rewind before returning a rental.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Lawsuits also accuse the manufacturers of failing to warn parents of the risk.—
David Hilzenrath,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Richardson has prior arrests and convictions in Alabama for domestic violence, disorderly conduct and failing to appear in court dating back to March 2011, Manley said.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Longtime fans may recall that on Thanksgiving Night 2009, Woods’ Cadillac Escalade collided with a fire hydrant, tree and several bushes near his Central Florida home, and he was ticketed with careless driving.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
-
She was arrested in a bankruptcy case in 2013, arrested for careless driving in 2021 and arrested again in 2023 on suspicion of domestic violence and battery.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
No one wants to be a part of history that risks omitting obvious stellar choices like Cunningham, Wembanyama and Edwards from recognition.—
Jason Jones,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Charles Anthony Nelson, 44, was convicted of misconduct of a public officer by making false documents, a gross misdemeanor, for intentionally omitting the calls in his report of the 2022 incident.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Black, white, colorful, graphic—the perfect baggy tee will hold your hand through low-key days at the office, weekends in the park, and your laziest bed-rot days.—
Kelsey Stiegman,
Glamour,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The point is to get away from lazy (but practical) System 1 thinking and apply your brain’s full power to seeing through any fraud or deception.—
Neil J. Rubenking,
PC Magazine,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
She was arrested on two counts of criminally negligent homicide, according to Erath County jail records, and her bail was set at $29,000.—
Jamie Landers,
Dallas Morning News,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Yates has been charged with two counts of criminally negligent homicide and was released on a $29,000 bond.—
Amelia Mugavero,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Neglecting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/neglecting. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
