disregard 1 of 2

disregard

2 of 2

verb

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
The company’s public image suffered as well, with headlines painting a picture of dysfunction and disregard for employee well-being. Christopher Kaufman, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025 Neither does anything else, but at least here, the disregard is genuine. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
If a tip is added automatically with no option for the customer to disregard or modify it, the amount distributed to workers from it doesn't qualify for a tax break, according to new guidance. Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 23 Sep. 2025 Brightline has attributed each death to someone breaking the law by walking or driving onto the tracks and disregarding gates and warning signs. Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for disregard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disregard
Noun
  • So break with tradition and go for a look that perfectly combines elegance and casualness with a playful print and your favorite baseball hat.
    Nils Doose, Glamour, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Erewhon’s signature SoCal casualness has been traded for Ivy League formality, complete with a dress code warning.
    Oren Peleg, HollywoodReporter, 20 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Really loved, obsessively loved and despised by every critic.
    Jen Juneau, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
  • His pushback against an effort to overhaul capital requirements earned him praise from Washington allies of the banking industry, which despised that proposal.
    Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The collapse of water security in Iran has been decades in the making and is rooted in a mania for megaprojects—dam building, deep wells, and water transfer schemes—that ignored the fundamentals of hydrology and ecological balance.
    Nik Kowsar, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Pierre LeBrun’s viewpoint Arpon, no doubt the Hughes contract injects a fresh comparable into the discussion that neither the Canadiens nor the Hutson camp can ignore, though using comparables always seems to be in the eye of the beholder.
    Arpon Basu, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • You’d be forgiven for not knowing, since MotoGP, despite being the most prestigious motorcycle racing series in the world, is still a niche sport.
    Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 6 Oct. 2025
  • You’ll be forgiven for not spending a lot of time thinking about zip ties.
    Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Fortunately, the bear’s indifference is aided in part by responsible wildlife viewing.
    Susan Portnoy, AFAR Media, 3 Oct. 2025
  • In public, Mark Kerr speaks amiably about his trainer turned rival and even takes him along for a rowdy impromptu meet-and-greet, but the lack of friction comes off less as a sign of his unflappability than of Safdie’s indifference to probing a friendship beyond buddy-comedy depth.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Taylor has also been an advocate of his own neighborhood, Hallmark, the 10th and often forgotten community within the West End.
    Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
  • The historic Gold Rush settlement of Norristown located around where Sac State’s campus is today, is almost entirely forgotten.
    Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Sweden and Finland might get overlooked by North American fans, but those hockey powers are always keen to crash the party.
    Rob Rossi, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Lynnoland Brass 6-Light Chandelier Light Fixture Don't overlook lighting this Prime Day.
    Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Federico Marchetti, the Italian fashion entrepreneur, is a master of sprezzatura—the courtier’s art of cloaking ambition and cunning in an air of guileless nonchalance.
    John Seabrook, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
  • That kind of perfect nonchalance for the street and the occasion.
    Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Disregard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disregard. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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