ignore

verb

ig·​nore ig-ˈnȯr How to pronounce ignore (audio)
ignored; ignoring

transitive verb

1
: to refuse to take notice of
2
: to reject (a bill of indictment) as ungrounded
ignorable adjective
ignorer noun
Choose the Right Synonym for ignore

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

Examples of ignore in a Sentence

She tried to ignore him but he wouldn't leave her alone. I'll ignore that last remark. If we continue to ignore these problems they will only get worse. They ignored the warning signs.
Recent Examples on the Web The tactic that the league seems to be taking, then, is to rely on the referees, rather than the rules, to be reasonable—to consider whether a player already has a technical before issuing another; to ignore cussing or frustrated gestures some of the time, but not all the time. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2024 The government ignored us—the cops ignored us—telling us we should have been prepared. Jared Lemus, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2024 And this is not to ignore other creators who have had a bad time. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 8 Mar. 2024 The Academy ignored the #OscarsSoWhite controversy for the most part, hiring noted Black person Chris Rock to host the 2016 ceremony, which, again, featured all-white acting nominees. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024 But hoping the drugs' benefits will last even after stopping them ignores the fundamental biology of obesity, experts said. Jonel Aleccia, Quartz, 6 Mar. 2024 Mackintosh said Meta directors have ignored several red flags, including lawsuits, media reports, shareholder resolutions, and increasing scrutiny by lawmakers and regulators of online activity, that should have alerted the board to act. Randall Chase, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2024 His athletic potential and his 2022 tape will be hard to ignore. Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024 Our attempts to share this proof with Mr. Jones' attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, have been ignored, as Mr. Blackburn refuses to return our calls. Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ignore.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

obsolete ignore to be ignorant of, from French ignorer, from Latin ignorare, from ignarus ignorant, unknown, from in- + gnoscere, noscere to know — more at know

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ignore was in 1801

Dictionary Entries Near ignore

Cite this Entry

“Ignore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ignore. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ignore

verb
ig·​nore ig-ˈnō(ə)r How to pronounce ignore (audio)
-ˈnȯ(ə)r
ignored; ignoring
: to refuse to notice : pay no attention to
ignored his advice
ignorable
-ˈnō(ə)r-ə-bəl How to pronounce ignore (audio)
-ˈnȯ(ə)r-
adjective
ignorer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on ignore

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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