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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
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 His lawsuit accused Jonasi of promoting a false translation with reckless disregard for the truth and for Morake’s reputation. Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 11 July 2026
Verb
Senate Bill 968, signed into law by the governor, disregarded the 2028 sunset date for the Free College pilot program. Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 19 July 2026 People in rural communities in many states — Illinois and Colorado, plus California and others — do not just think their voices are being disregarded. Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for disregard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disregard
Noun
  • 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
  • Some of those losses stemmed from carelessness, with his supreme confidence occasionally straying into casualness.
    Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • But Kennedy despises the technology and has spread significant misinformation about mRNA technology.
    Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 16 July 2026
Verb
  • Renner said Donalds is ignoring base Republican voters in his campaign, especially by refusing to debate him, Collins and conservative activist and investor James Fishback.
    Gray Rohrer, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
  • The simple, rather depressing, and completely overwhelming fact of the matter is that the Marvel Cinematic Universe cannot be ignored, even as superhero fatigue has definitively set in at the global box office.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Verb
  • With the Great Wealth Transfer scheduled to get underway in the next few decades, younger generations could be forgiven for thinking a windfall might be coming their way.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 29 July 2026
  • Find the less desirable line, however, and the hole remains forgiving enough to leave a straightforward approach and an excellent chance to make par.
    Jeff Goudy, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Noun
  • The parents were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in separate trials after prosecutors presented evidence of an unsecured gun at their home and their indifference toward their son's mental health.
    Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 30 July 2026
  • Absent communication often leads to assumptions of indifference or disrespect, eroding trust and fostering hostility.
    Alejandro Cárdenas Villa, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Verb
  • After Graham was eulogized Tuesday in the nation's capital as an indefatigable dealmaker by the president, vice president and others, mourners in Columbia prepared to remember him Wednesday as the son of pool hall owners who never forgot his roots.
    ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026
  • The 2026 installation, by Autumn Knight, echoes Knight’s performance this past April for the show, in which the artist played mother to audience members, treating them as children who had forgotten her birthday.
    Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 29 July 2026
Verb
  • Students from Rebel Song Academy, Harmony Project and Base Academy of Music will all take the stage, while Stars Out, a youth performance group, will perform songs connected to Kansas City musicians whose contributions are often overlooked.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
  • The main bedroom and balcony overlook a wooden garden; inside, the interiors are flooded with light.
    Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 31 July 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 31 Jul. 2026.

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