<strong>Ignorant</strong> is an adjective meaning you do not know something: <em>I was completely ignorant of the deadline</em>. <strong>Ignore</strong> is a verb meaning you know perfectly well and choose not to react: <em>she ignored three of my emails</em>. Ignorant is about missing information; ignoring is a deliberate act.</p>
The core difference
Despite sharing a root, these two words describe opposite mental states. To be ignorant of something is to lack the knowledge. To ignore something is to have the knowledge and refuse to act on it. You cannot ignore a message you never received; you were ignorant of it.
Using ignorant
It is an adjective, and it usually takes of or about:
- Most buyers are ignorant of their rights when a delivery goes missing.
- I'm embarrassingly ignorant about anything to do with cars.
Note the tone. Used of a person without a following of phrase — he's just ignorant — it works as a flat insult, meaning uneducated or, in British and Irish usage, rude and boorish. When you simply mean someone did not know, unaware, unfamiliar with or not told is kinder and clearer.
Using ignore
It is a verb, so it takes an object directly — no preposition:
- He ignored the warning light for a fortnight.
- Ignore the first email; the corrected version is below.
- She's been ignoring me since Tuesday.
The test
Ask whether the person knew. If they did not know, they were ignorant of it. If they knew and turned away, they ignored it. A second check: ignorant can follow is/was/am and needs of before its object; the bare form ignore can never follow is — though is ignored and is ignoring are of course perfectly normal — and no form of it ever takes of.
The mistake to watch
The frequent error is using ignorant where a form of ignore belongs: He was being ignorant to my texts. That should be He was ignoring my texts. If you need an adjective for someone who ignores people, English does not offer one from this root — use dismissive, unresponsive or simply rude.
The reverse slip also happens: I ignored that the shop had closed, meaning you did not know. Write I was unaware that the shop had closed.
The related words
Ignorance is the noun for lack of knowledge (pleading ignorance won't help). Ignoring is the noun-like form of the verb (the ignoring of safety notices, though disregard reads better). And ignoble, despite the look of it, is unrelated in sense — it means dishonourable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it "he was ignorant to my messages" or "he ignored my messages"?
He ignored my messages. Ignorant means not knowing, and it takes "of", not "to". If he saw the messages and did not reply, the verb ignore is the word you need.
Is calling someone ignorant an insult?
Usually yes, unless you follow it with "of" and a specific topic. "Ignorant of the procedure" is neutral; a bare "he's ignorant" means uneducated, and in British and Irish English it often means rude.
What is the adjective for someone who ignores people?
There isn't one from this root. Use dismissive, unresponsive, aloof or standoffish — not ignorant, which describes what someone doesn't know rather than what they refuse to acknowledge.