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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
Hydra Head Records may have been built on handshakes, artistic freedom and a healthy disregard for conventional genre boundaries, but keeping the thing running was considerably messier. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 18 Sep. 2026 Gonzaba was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, causing bodily injury, hit-and-run involving death/injury, vehicle theft and felony evading a peace officer with disregard for safety, police said. — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
Yet Democrat politicians seem to disregard this substantial portion of their base. — Matt Calkins Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026 Hogan similarly asked jurors to disregard Flores’ request to be compensated for the value of future gifts that Muderrig might have purchased for her. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disregard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disregard
Noun
  • The painting’s joyful casualness belies its subject matter, clues to which can be found in the coyote on one of the men’s shirts and in the work’s title, Uncle’s Crossing (2022).
    — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • For most, though, the dress is business casual, matching the growing casualness of their behavior in the box over the course of long sessions.
    — Andy Rose, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • For example, Scalia famously cast the deciding vote in 1989 to hold unconstitutional a law criminalizing burning the American flag despite being a big patriot and despising such activities.
    — Brian Fitzpatrick, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2026
  • In both projects, she was tasked not only with playing the same person from young adulthood to maturity, but also with bringing new dimension to a literary character whom readers have misguidedly despised for decades.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Kalra’s bill would have added, in essence, an official recognition to state law that California’s water rights system ignores how land was taken from Native Americans during colonization.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Most of them appear gradually, which is exactly why they get ignored.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • You’d be forgiven for not straying greatly from the Four Seasons.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Oct. 2026
  • However, get a couple of key hits on the way to a World Series title, and all will be forgiven.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Any choice for or against the work, including the choice of no-choice—of indifference or disregard—confronts the question of authenticity.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Related Stories Colin Jost also appears as himself, reading his own children’s book to the Springfield Elementary audience, much to their indifference.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In 2014, when UEFA's then-general secretary, now FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, was in talks with Man City about settling a rules breach with a fine, the club's lawyer Simon Cliff sent an email with a line yet to be forgotten.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Hockey can’t be forgotten for having two teams, either, with the Rangers and Islanders both representing the major market.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The restaurant serves a lovely breakfast on the veranda overlooking Ocean Drive as well as lunch and light bites in the piano bar in the lobby.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Kendall’s brother, Neels, officiated the ceremony on her family’s property at the top of the mountain, overlooking the Seven Devils range.
    — Alexandra Macon, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • There’s still the nonchalance, the feeling of being all-powerful that many teenagers have.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Their nonchalance about potential Social Security cuts further indicates reduced reliance on such benefits.
    — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Disregard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disregard. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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