ignore
Americanverb (used with object)
-
ignores,
present (3rd person singular)
-
ignored,
past participle, past
-
ignoring
present participle
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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ignorernoun
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ignorableadjective
-
unignorableadjective
-
unignoredadjective
-
unignoringadjective
-
well-ignoredadjective
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unignorablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
ignoresimple
-
ignoressimple
-
have ignoredperfect
-
has ignoredperfect
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am ignoringprogressive
-
are ignoringprogressive
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is ignoringprogressive
-
have been ignoringperfect progressive
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has been ignoringperfect progressive
Past
-
ignoredsimple
-
had ignoredperfect
-
was ignoringprogressive
-
were ignoringprogressive
-
had been ignoringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of ignore
First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin ignōrāre “to not know, disregard,” verb derivative of ignārus “ignorant, unaware” (with -ō- perhaps from ignōtus “unknown”), equivalent to in- in- 3 + gnārus “knowing, acquainted (with)”; akin to (g)nōscere “to know 1 ”
Explanation
To ignore something is to disregard it. If you ignore the rules of grammar, you're likely to be misunderstood. It's easy to see the relationship between ignore and a word such as ignorant. To be ignorant of something is to know nothing about it. A good way to be ignorant about something is to ignore it. In other words, if you want to be ignorant about a certain subject—that is, if you want to know nothing about it—then by all means ignore it. Pay it no mind.
Vocabulary lists containing ignore
Michelle Obama's Speech at the 2016 DNC
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Sula
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"Indian Summer Sun" and "Almost Evenly Divided"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
You have a bit of planning to do before deciding to ignore this Roth-conversion window.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
This summer, those vulnerabilities became impossible to ignore.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Administration officials say the rotation was prescheduled, but the timing is hard to ignore.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
Yet across the continent, their disappearance is becoming impossible to ignore, as conservationists warn that hunting linked to traditional beliefs and spiritual practices continues to threaten several vulture species to the point of near extinction.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
So I let him lead the way, and ignore the voice inside me that’s always looking for problems where there aren’t any.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
While making space for such drivel, the museum ignores huge swaths of American history.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Like the deal’s opponents, the judge focuses on the Big Screen and ignores the bigger market picture.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
More importantly, that thinking ignores the trauma the investigations themselves inflict.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
‘He just ignores us’: My parents put my youngest brother on the title of our family home.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
Ayesha’s parents are trying to keep her away from me, afraid of my bad influence, but Ayesha ignores them.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
Centcom says it acted after "the ship's civilian crew ignored repeated warnings from American forces".
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
A U.S. military helicopter fired at the rudder of the ship after its crew ignored warnings from American personnel working to enforce the naval blockade of Iran’s ports, the official said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
"The North often feels it's ignored and I know now is the time to prove the North matters," he says.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
Carmen Schober, the profile’s author, ignored the way members of Schmidt’s online forum, Skinni Société, commiserated about their hair loss and inability to stand without getting dizzy.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
I ignored him, I closed my eyes, trying to block out all the din around me and focusing only on the voices in my headset, where the Frenchman was keeping his agonized wait.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
“The advisers are completely ignoring feelings. But they’re not paid based on having conversations about how you feel.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
A family almost missed out on a £1m lottery jackpot after unknowingly ignoring calls and emails notifying them that they had won.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Williams agrees this has been her experience, one she’s grateful for in an industry often dead set on ignoring perspectives like hers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
It is assigning no value whatsoever to these environmental benefits, thereby ignoring the very health concerns the agency was created to address.
From Slate ● Aug. 2, 2026
I kept my gaze straight ahead, clutched my coat, and moved as fast as I could, ignoring the occasional taunts or eye rolls.
From "Willodeen" by Katherine Applegate
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
