verb
ignore
ig-NOR/ɪɡˈnɔːr/
To give no attention to or fail to consider someone or something.
The absorbed reader ignores the companion waving nearby for attention.
Etymology
Latin ignorare covered both not knowing and taking no notice. English first used ignore for being ignorant of something; the selected meaning instead concerns withholding attention.
In context
Most people will avoid these difficult conversations to preserve order, but if you ignore them long enough, political positions become cemented, and people will kill each other before they admit that they’re wrong about something.
More examples
- You can't ignore the cost when planning a vacation.
- He ignored my advice and left without a jacket.
- Are you ignoring me, or did you not hear?
Forms
ignore · ignores · ignored · ignoring
Similar words
- disregard
- Often suggests consciously treating something as unimportant or irrelevant.
- overlook
- Often means failing to notice something rather than deliberately ignoring it.
- neglect
- Emphasizes failing to provide needed attention, care, or action.