disregard
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
-
lack of regard or attention; neglect.
- Synonyms:
- oversight, inattention
-
lack of due or respectful regard.
- Synonyms:
- slight, disrespect
verb
-
to give little or no attention to; ignore
-
to treat as unworthy of consideration or respect
noun
-
lack of attention or respect
-
(often plural) social welfare capital or income which is not counted in calculating the amount payable to a claimant for a means-tested benefit
Synonym Usage
See slight.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
disregardfullyadverb
-
disregardfuladjective
-
disregardfulnessnoun
-
disregardableadjective
-
disregardernoun
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have disregardedperfect
-
has disregardedperfect 3rd person singular
-
are disregardingprogressive
-
have been disregardingperfect progressive
-
am disregardingprogressive 1st person singular
-
has been disregardingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
is disregardingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
disregardssingular 3rd person
-
disregardingparticiple
Past
-
had disregardedperfect
-
were disregardingprogressive plural
-
had been disregardingperfect progressive
-
was disregardingprogressive singular
-
disregardedsimple
-
disregardedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of disregard
Explanation
If everyone at the city council meeting tends to disregard anything that's said by the eccentric gentleman with the parrot on his shoulder, it means that no one pays any attention to him. To disregard something is to ignore it, or to deliberately pay it no attention. Sometimes the word is used to mean "neglect," implying that something important is not being taken care of. Disregard can also be a noun; you could complain that your family has a complete disregard for your privacy when they gather outside your bedroom door to eavesdrop on your telephone conversations.
Vocabulary lists containing disregard
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 7–11
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Purple Hibiscus
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The Boy Who Invented TV
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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.
This helps explain why he can’t disregard her criticism the way any normal person might shrug off slights from someone they don’t respect.
From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026
The complaint seeks to hold Altman “personally liable” for his conduct as OpenAI’s chief executive, “including his utter disregard for the risk to human life” allegedly caused by OpenAI’s conduct.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026
Elaborating further, emphasizing his disregard for intentionality, he wrote: “It chooses you. . . . Taste is the enemy of art.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026
Steyer has argued that “perverse” structure allows utilities to disregard cheaper cost-effective solutions in favor of more expensive options, such as undergrounding power lines.
From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026
And one voice, with sublime disregard for the situation, read poetry aloud in the fiery study, until all the film spools burned, until all the wires withered and the circuits cracked.
From "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury
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.
