ignore

The word “ignore” means to deliberately pay no attention to someone or something. In plain terms, to notice something and choose not to react to it, as opposed to genuinely not knowing about it.

“Ignore” is pronounced ihg-NAW (/ɪɡˈnoɹ/ in IPA).

Here is “ignore” used in a sentence: “She ignored his calls for the rest of the week.”

Words with a similar meaning to “ignore” include brush off, discount, disregard, dissemble, despise and misheed.

The opposite of “ignore” — its antonyms — are examine, pay attention, recognize and watch.

“Ignore” is a verb.

The word “ignore” comes from Latin. From French ignorer, from Latin ignorare, "not to know" — from in- ("not") + gnarus ("knowing").

“Ignore” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

To ignore is a verb meaning to knowingly take no notice of something you are aware of. Ignorant is an adjective meaning lacking knowledge or unaware of something. The difference is deliberate awareness: you ignore a fact you know but choose to disregard, whereas being ignorant of it means you never knew it at all.

Both involve failing to attend to something, but ignore is usually a deliberate choice to pay no attention, often momentary. Neglect suggests a failure of duty or care over time, whether intentional or not — neglecting a garden, a child, or a responsibility. Ignore is about attention; neglect is about care and obligation.

It often is, especially when done pointedly to snub or exclude a person — sometimes called the 'silent treatment'. However, ignoring is not always unkind: people may sensibly ignore distractions, provocations, insults, or unwanted noise to stay focused or avoid conflict. The intent and situation decide whether it comes across as rude.

She ignored his rude comment and carried on speaking. Drivers should never ignore a warning light. He ignored my messages for a week. In each case, the person is aware of the thing but chooses, on purpose, to give it no attention or response whatsoever.