ignore

[ig-nawr, -nohr]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ignore ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), ig·nored, ig·nor·ing.

to refrain from noticing or recognizing: to ignore insulting remarks.

Law. (of a grand jury) to reject (a bill of indictment), as on the grounds of insufficient evidence.

Origin of ignore

1605–15; < Latin ignōrāre to not know, disregard, verbal 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 know¹

Related formsig·nor·a·ble, adjectiveig·nor·er, nounun·ig·nor·a·ble, adjectiveun·ig·nor·a·bly, adverbun·ig·nored, adjectiveun·ig·nor·ing, adjectivewell-ig·nored, adjective

Synonyms for ignore

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ignore ON THESAURUS.COM

1. overlook; slight, disregard, neglect.

Antonyms for ignore

1. notice, regard.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for ignoring

forget, avoid, overlook, discount, reject, fail, scorn, neglect, disdain, omit, slight, blink, wink, evade, pooh-pooh, cold-shoulder, overpass

Examples from the Web for ignoring

Contemporary Examples of ignoring

Ignoring people you hooked up with at Shooters when encountering them on campus is a quintessential Duke experience.
Random Hook-Ups or Dry Spells: Why Millennials Flunk College Dating
Ellie Schaack
January 1, 2015
But in doing so, are they ignoring other liberal alternatives to Hillary Clinton?
Elizabeth Warren 2016 Gets First Check From Liberals
Ben Jacobs
December 17, 2014
For Cuomo, the strategy of ignoring Teachout—quite literally in some cases—made a certain amount of sense.
Andrew Cuomo Can't Ignore It Now: He's Weak Even at Home
David Freedlander
September 10, 2014
Schultz repeatedly hit Christie for “ignoring his constituents” and the economic problems in his state.
Dems' Unspeakably Lame Bridgegate Stunt
Olivia Nuzzi
September 8, 2014
His fellow citizens, ignoring him, bring it into their city.
Your Health Food’s Hidden Sugar Bomb
Michael Schulson
July 8, 2014

Historical Examples of ignoring

Ignoring his wild shouts they crunched to powder all his giant bones.
Indian Legends of Vancouver Island
Alfred Carmichael
"We must make haste, Miss Calendar," said Kirkwood, ignoring the implication.
The Black Bag
Louis Joseph Vance
"It was Arthur's hour for college," remarked Hamish, ignoring the rest of the sentence.
The Channings
Mrs. Henry Wood
"What an old darling he is," murmured Jennie, ignoring his protests.
Jennie Baxter, Journalist
Robert Barr
She went on with her reading, ignoring him, and he stood there not knowing how to get away.
One Day's Courtship
Robert Barr

British Dictionary definitions for ignoring

ignore

verb (tr)

to fail or refuse to notice; disregard

noun

Australian informal disregardto treat someone with ignore

Derived Formsignorable, adjectiveignorer, noun

Word Origin for ignore

C17: from Latin ignōrāre not to know, from ignārus ignorant of, from i- in- 1 + gnārus knowing; related to Latin noscere to know

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for ignoring

ignore

1610s, "not to know, to be ignorant of," from French ignorer "be unaware of," from Latin ignorare "not to know, disregard" (see ignorant). Sense of "pay no attention to" first recorded 1801 (Barnhart says "probably a dictionary word"), and not common until c.1850. Related: Ignored; ignoring.