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Definition of disregardnext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word disregard distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of disregard are forget, ignore, neglect, overlook, and slight. While all these words mean "to pass over without giving due attention," disregard suggests voluntary inattention.

disregarded the wishes of his family

In what contexts can forget take the place of disregard?

The words forget and disregard are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, forget may suggest either a willful ignoring or a failure to impress something on one's mind.

forget what others say

When would ignore be a good substitute for disregard?

While the synonyms ignore and disregard are close in meaning, ignore implies a failure to regard something obvious.

ignored the snide remark

When is neglect a more appropriate choice than disregard?

The words neglect and disregard can be used in similar contexts, 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 disregard?

The synonyms overlook and disregard are sometimes interchangeable, but overlook suggests disregarding or ignoring through haste or lack of care.

in my rush I overlooked a key example

When might slight be a better fit than disregard?

In some situations, the words slight and disregard are roughly equivalent. However, 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 disregard
Noun
Emily questions such disregard for men, but eventually accepts it as part of the pact to prioritize herself and her newfound sorority. Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 20 July 2026 Garbrandt walked into the same counters that have ended his last several bad nights, and Yanez, who fights with his own reckless disregard for return fire, simply landed first and landed cleaner. Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 12 July 2026
Verb
Because our governor and attorney general have long disregarded the most effective tools already at their disposal to fulfill their pronounced objective. Dean Lerner, Washington Post, 28 July 2026 Further, some parents disregard the possibility of jet lag altogether, as Julissa Baez, pediatrician and clinical professor at New York University, has observed in her practice. Sophia Dyer, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for disregard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disregard
Noun
  • The key to not looking too bundled up is to add a layer that offsets the casualness of the others.
    Christina Perrier, InStyle, 30 July 2026
  • Now my mother and I sometimes talk about Hương; never directly, but with a casualness that, too, seems like a gift.
    Thao Thai, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026
Verb
  • Most of the refugees from the region fended for themselves in shanty towns around Baku, despised by the urbanites even as their plight was weaponized.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 July 2026
  • This movie proved to be a huge hit, raking in over $230 million worldwide even though most critics despised it.
    Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 24 July 2026
Verb
  • But that didn’t stop him from taping interviews on Wednesday with various Chicago television newscasts from his downtown Chicago state office while ignoring follow-up requests from the Tribune.
    Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Where Raphael’s infant Christ is plump, acquiescent, docile, Cassatt’s children squirm, resist, and ignore authority.
    Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Alex ultimately found a way to forgive her and took her back, but Jackie’s heart clearly couldn’t move on from Cole.
    Kat Pettibone, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Aug. 2026
  • That tendency was easier to forgive in the first season because the series had a sturdy dramatic premise.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Was there a kind of indifference — not cold, but settled — in which nothing felt particularly more significant because an end was coming?
    Sai Rajagopal, STAT, 4 Aug. 2026
  • As past and present echo through the mountains, human encroachment and indifference threaten to erase their unique spirit, and his story becomes a reflection of an age-old, unequal struggle.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • And by lunch, the bloody tableau has been forgotten, right on time for the arrival of Robert Mallory, the new student Susan had warned the others about.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026
  • While Collins tries to refocus the conversation back on his conservative agenda, Democrats are working hard to ensure voters don’t forget about the drama.
    Tia Mitchell, AJC.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • This 58-room resort overlooking the Adriatic is actually two distinct properties joined by a narrow isthmus.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Visitors can also anticipate a new section devoted to the history of the Uffizi collection, plus a new reception area to the museum’s Magliabechiana Hall overlooking the Piazza del Grano, to name just a few changes ahead.
    Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Spain’s talisman was Lamine Yamal, its nineteen-year-old right winger, who plays the game with bleached tips, implausible speed, and nonchalance, but its superego was Rodri, the team’s central midfielder and captain.
    Sam Knight, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • But in the era of dating apps − essentially another form of social media − the nonchalance with which so many approach dating has gotten out of hand.
    Charles Trepany, USA Today, 29 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Disregard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disregard. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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