ignore
Americanverb
noun
Other Word Forms
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.
The 1-hour chart shows a “risk-on vibe” that’s too difficult to ignore, which has sent the Australian dollar-Japanese yen pair up toward the weekly pivot point, the senior market analyst says.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
"Don't ignore it the way I did," he added.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
But he said Everlane’s customers were unlikely to ignore Shein’s reputation — or the gap between Everlane’s sourcing standards and the criticisms made against Shein.
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
So, don’t ignore IPOs in less sexy industries, even as the window for new tech offerings starts to open wide.
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
“I don’t know. It’s that—for two months I’ve been back and I’ve been doing nothing but trying to ignore everything that happened over there,” I say finally.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.
