disregard

1 of 2

verb

dis·​re·​gard ˌdis-ri-ˈgärd 

disregarded; disregarding; disregards

transitive verb

: to pay no attention to : treat as unworthy of regard or notice

Please disregard what I said in my last email.

He disregarded her advice.

disregard

2 of 2

noun

: the act of treating someone or something as unworthy of regard or notice : the state of being disregarded (see disregard entry 1) : neglect

showed a complete disregard for the rules

disregardful

ˌdis-ri-ˈgärd-fəl 

adjective

Synonyms

Verb

• despise
• flout
• scorn

Noun

• apathy
• casualness
• complacence
• disinterestedness
• incuriosity
• incuriousness
• indifference
• insouciance
• nonchalance
• torpor
• unconcern

Choose the Right Synonym for disregard

neglect, disregard, ignore, overlook, slight, forget mean to pass over without giving due attention.

neglect implies giving insufficient attention to something that merits one's attention.

habitually neglected his studies

disregard suggests voluntary inattention.

disregarded the wishes of his family

ignore implies a failure to regard something obvious.

ignored the snide remark

overlook suggests disregarding or ignoring through haste or lack of care.

in my rush I overlooked a key example

slight implies contemptuous or disdainful disregarding or omitting.

slighted several major authors in her survey

forget may suggest either a willful ignoring or a failure to impress something on one's mind.

forget what others say

Examples of disregard in a Sentence

Verb

Please disregard what I said before.

He disregarded his father's advice and left school.

Some students completely disregard the rules of the school.

Noun

They treated the rules with complete disregard.

revelers firing guns in the air with complete disregard for the possible consequences

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

There was only one goal scored in a 1-0 win over the rival the Los Angeles Kings, and Draisaitl picked up just a secondary assist — the type of credit often almost disregarded as insignificant. —Daniel Nugent-Bowman, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025

Equip for Equality attorneys have seen time and time again how students with IEPs are failed by schools and administrations that flagrantly disregard the laws. —Zena Naiditch, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2025

Noun

But neither weapon was going to be a game-changer for Ukraine, so Biden’s disregard for both treaties will only put more civilian lives at risk and further erode humanitarian norms. —Sarah Yager, Foreign Affairs, 14 Jan. 2025

This recklessness and conscious disregard for human safety was a substantial factor in bringing about the Eaton Fire. —Rebecca Falconer, Axios, 14 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1613, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1659, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

disregard

1 of 2 verb

dis·​re·​gard ˌdis-ri-ˈgärd 

: to pay no attention to : treat as unworthy of regard or notice

disregard

2 of 2 noun

: the act of disregarding : the state of being disregarded

disregardful

-fəl 

adjective