neglect

[ni-glekt]

verb (used with object)

1. to pay no attention or too little attention to; disregard or slight.

   The public neglected his genius for many years.

   Synonyms: ignore

2. to be remiss in the care or treatment of.

   to neglect one's family; to neglect one's appearance.

3. to omit, through indifference or carelessness.

   to neglect to reply to an invitation.

4. to fail to carry out or perform (orders, duties, etc.).

   to neglect the household chores.

5. to fail to take or use.

   to neglect no precaution.

noun

1. an act or instance of neglecting; disregard; negligence.

   The neglect of the property was shameful.

   Synonyms: heedlessness, inattention, default
   Antonyms: care, attention

2. the fact or state of being neglected.

   a beauty marred by neglect.

   Synonyms: heedlessness, inattention, default

neglect

/ nɪˈɡlɛkt /

verb

1. to fail to give due care, attention, or time to

   to neglect a child

2. to fail (to do something) through thoughtlessness or carelessness

   he neglected to tell her

3. to ignore or disregard

   she neglected his frantic signals

noun

1. lack of due care or attention; negligence

   the child starved through neglect

2. the act or an instance of neglecting or the state of being neglected

Other Word Forms

• neglecter noun
• neglectedly adverb
• neglectedness noun
• neglector noun
• overneglect verb (used with object)
• preneglect verb (used with object)
• quasi-neglected adjective
• self-neglect adjective
• self-neglecting adjective
• unneglected adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of neglect¹

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin neglēctus, variant of neclēctus (past participle of neglegere, neclegere “to disregard, ignore, slight”), equivalent to nec “not” + leg-, base of legere “to pick up” + -tus past participle suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of neglect¹

C16: from Latin neglegere to neglect, from nec not + legere to select

Synonym Study

See slight. Neglect, dereliction, negligence, remissness imply carelessness, failure, or some important omission in the performance of one's duty, a task, etc. Neglect and negligence are occasionally interchangeable, but neglect commonly refers to an instance, negligence to the habit or trait, of failing to attend to or perform what is expected or required: gross neglect of duty; negligence in handling traffic problems. Dereliction implies culpable or reprehensible neglect or failure in the performance of duty: dereliction in a position of responsibility. Remissness implies the omission or the careless or indifferent performance of a duty: remissness in filing a report on the accident.

Example Sentences

“As a result, we’ve let problems fester, missed opportunities and neglected partners,” he wrote in an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal earlier this year.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Families of residents accused Castlehill's owners of "cruelty" and "neglect" after a BBC Disclosure investigation revealed a series of care failures.

Read more on BBC

Social media companies say they do not allow animal abuse, cruelty, neglect, or other forms of animal exploitation and remove content that causes distress or harm to animals.

Read more on BBC

The justices then ruled that commissioners could be removed only for misconduct or neglect of duty.

Read more on BBC

Families of elderly residents at one of Scotland's largest care homes have accused its owners of "cruelty" and "neglect" after a BBC investigation revealed a series of care failures.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• discount 
• disregard 
• ignore 
• overlook 
• reject 
• spurn 
• underestimate 

When To Use

What does neglect mean?

Neglect means to fail to pay enough attention to someone or something or to not do enough to properly care for someone or something.In terms of things, neglect usually means that you haven’t maintained them properly. To neglect your car is to fail to make sure it gets the maintenance it needs to keep running properly. To neglect your health is to fail to do anything to maintain it. To neglect your duties is to disregard them, often due to being preoccupied with other things.When it’s used in the context of people, neglect implies a lack of attention and care. When you neglect a friend or romantic partner, it means you don’t spend enough time with them or you fail to consider or care about their emotional needs. However, the word neglect is often associated with even more serious situations. When the word is used in relation to the care of children, it means to fail to properly care for them in a way that’s equivalent to mistreatment or abuse. This is sometimes called negligence (which is a synonym of neglect and is based on the same root).As a verb, neglect can also mean to fail to do something, such as through indifference, thoughtlessness, or carelessness. This sense of the verb is typically followed by another verb (in its infinitive form), as in I neglected to check a single box on the form and now I have to start over. Neglect is also commonly used as a noun meaning the act or an instance of neglecting, as in These children are victims of neglect, or the state of being neglected, as in The house was in a state of neglect.The adjective neglectful can be used to describe a person who neglects or their actions. The word neglected can also be used as an adjective, as in neglected children. Example: After years of neglect, these pets are being adopted into loving homes.