as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
a neglected teddy bear, missing one eye and both ears, shoved into the closet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in ignored
to fail to give proper attention to
as usual the news media neglected the real issues of the campaign and focused on personalities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in forgot
to leave undone or unattended to especially through carelessness
I've neglected my garden, and now it's overgrown with weeds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in failed
to miss the opportunity or obligation
conveniently, the job applicant neglected to mention his criminal record
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 neglected
Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025
Over six years, Papp and Archie fostered 120 dogs and cats, and the owner said Archie was a major reason some of the most neglected and frightened animals went on to live full and happy lives.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Nov. 2025
Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 6 Mar. 2026
The Wall Street Journal reported last month that a maintenance issue had forced Noem to switch planes, and when the pilot neglected to move her blanket to the new plane, he was fired on the spot, before being reinstated because there was nobody else available to fly her home.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for neglected
Adjective
The narrative highlights the growing, unseen populations of lonely and neglected individuals, shedding light on a vital but often ignored aspect of public care.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025
Over six years, Papp and Archie fostered 120 dogs and cats, and the owner said Archie was a major reason some of the most neglected and frightened animals went on to live full and happy lives.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Nov. 2025
Verb
Congress is meant to approve an annual authorization bill to set NASA’s priorities and an appropriations bill that allocates money, but the former is often neglected; the most recent finalized NASA authorization bill dates to 2022.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 6 Mar. 2026
The Wall Street Journal reported last month that a maintenance issue had forced Noem to switch planes, and when the pilot neglected to move her blanket to the new plane, he was fired on the spot, before being reinstated because there was nobody else available to fly her home.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for neglected
Recent Examples of Synonyms for neglected
Adjective
-
My father in his gray Nehru jacket thumbing through Urdu poetry books in the library of a dilapidated but grand Mahmudabad palace, near his hometown of Lucknow.—
Divia Thani,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Mar. 2026
-
On Saturday, Aurora Fire Rescue held a grand opening ceremony for a new station that replaced an old dilapidated firehouse.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Whether out of arrogance, capriciousness, or collective amnesia, this recent history was ignored.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Many speakers ignored instructions to address the board and instead addressed other speakers in the crowd.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The whole world forgot about Iran.—
Chierstin Roth,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
-
In training camp a year ago, Montgomery said missing those three games the previous season gave him the sense that people forgot him.—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The family on Wednesday filed a wrongful-death claim against the Los Angeles Unified School District, alleging school officials failed to investigate reports of bullying, adequately supervise student interactions or implement effective safety measures.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The conflict was sparked by Hezbollah targeting Israel after the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, breaking a 2024 ceasefire that in any case had largely failed.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The abandoned Westminster Mall has turned into a hotspot for vandalism since shuttering in late 2025, according to police who are attempting to raise awareness about the issue.—
Lesley Marin,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Rogers is shopworker Polly Parrish, who gets mistakenly identified as the parent of an abandoned baby.—
Gwen Ihnat,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
In principle, there’s a leap year that occurs every four years, except every 100 years, when the leap day is omitted.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Unfortunately, the story presented a one-sided narrative that omitted important facts and context that were provided to the reporter prior to publication.—
Aegis reader commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Neglected.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/neglected. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
