Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

Thesaurus

neglect

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of neglect

1 the state of being unattended to or not cared for
  • For years the barn sat in neglect until one day it finally fell down.
Synonyms of neglect

desolation, dilapidation, disrepair, seediness
Words Related to neglect

inattention, negligence

abandonment, desertion

decay, decrepitude, dereliction, deterioration, disintegration, dumpiness, ruin, ruination
Near Antonyms of neglect

conservation, preservation, upkeep
Antonyms of neglect

keeping, repair
2 the nonperformance of an assigned or expected action
  • Your ongoing neglect of your health is going to land you in the hospital someday.
Synonyms of neglect

default, delinquency, dereliction, failure, negligence, nonfeasance, oversight
Words Related to neglect

carelessness, heedlessness, inadvertence, inadvertency, laxity
Near Antonyms of neglect

compliance, discharge, fulfillment (or fulfilment)

neglect

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of neglect

1 to fail to give proper attention to
  • The news media neglected the real issues of the campaign and focused on personalities.
Synonyms of neglect

bypass, disregard, forget, ignore, overlook, overpass, pass over, slight, slur (over)
Words Related to neglect

fail

miss, omit

brush (aside or off), reject, shrug off, slough (off) also sluff (off)

disdain, pooh-pooh (also pooh), scorn

scant, skimp
Near Antonyms of neglect

appreciate, cherish, prize, treasure, value

cultivate, foster, nurse, nurture

pamper

remember

listen (to), watch

follow, mark, note, notice, observe, remark
Antonyms of neglect

attend (to), heed, mind, regard, tend (to)
2 to leave undone or unattended to especially through carelessness
  • I've neglected my garden, and now it's overgrown with weeds.
Synonyms of neglect

forget, shirk
Words Related to neglect

slack (off)
Near Antonyms of neglect

carry out, do, execute, perform

accomplish, achieve

keep up, maintain
Antonyms of neglect

attend (to), remember
3 to miss the opportunity or obligation
  • Conveniently, the salesman neglected to mention that the car had been through a flood.
Synonyms of neglect

fail, forget, omit
Words Related to neglect

disregard, ignore, overlook, overpass, pass over, slight

slide, slip

default

skip
Phrases Synonymous with neglect

miss out on
Near Antonyms of neglect

heed, mind, remember

keep, observe

carry out, do, execute, perform, practice (also practise)

discharge, fulfill (or fulfil), meet, satisfy

comply (with)

Synonym Discussion of neglect

neglect, disregard, ignore, overlook, slight, forget mean to pass over without giving due attention. neglect implies giving insufficient attention to something that merits one's attention.
    • habitually neglected his studies
disregard suggests voluntary inattention.
    • disregarded the wishes of his family
ignore implies a failure to regard something obvious.
    • ignored the snide remark
overlook suggests disregarding or ignoring through haste or lack of care.
    • in my rush I overlooked a key example
slight implies contemptuous or disdainful disregarding or omitting.
    • slighted several major authors in her survey
forget may suggest either a willful ignoring or a failure to impress something on one's mind.
    • forget what others say

Learn More about neglect

  1. See words that rhyme with neglect Dictionary: Definition of neglect Spanish Central: Translation of neglect Nglish: Translation of neglect for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of neglect for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up neglect? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games