disregard 1 of 2

disregard

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word disregard distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of disregard are forget, ignore, neglect, overlook, and slight. While all these words mean "to pass over without giving due attention," disregard suggests voluntary inattention.

disregarded the wishes of his family

In what contexts can forget take the place of disregard?

The words forget and disregard are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, forget may suggest either a willful ignoring or a failure to impress something on one's mind.

forget what others say

When would ignore be a good substitute for disregard?

While the synonyms ignore and disregard are close in meaning, ignore implies a failure to regard something obvious.

ignored the snide remark

When is neglect a more appropriate choice than disregard?

The words neglect and disregard can be used in similar contexts, but neglect implies giving insufficient attention to something that merits one's attention.

habitually neglected his studies

Where would overlook be a reasonable alternative to disregard?

The synonyms overlook and disregard are sometimes interchangeable, but overlook suggests disregarding or ignoring through haste or lack of care.

in my rush I overlooked a key example

When might slight be a better fit than disregard?

In some situations, the words slight and disregard are roughly equivalent. However, slight implies contemptuous or disdainful disregarding or omitting.

slighted several major authors in her survey

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disregard
Noun
The scope of Trump and Musk’s sweeping effort to purge the federal workforce and slash government spending has shocked the political world — in part for its ambition, but also in part because of its disregard for the law. Vox Staff, Vox, 7 Feb. 2025 After all, in Season 1, Helena always treated Helly with brazen disregard. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 Feb. 2025
Verb
Critics say his team with the new Department of Government Efficiency is disregarding the law and the constitutional separation of powers. Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2025 The People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy said the court disregarded other court rulings related to the merger case. Reuters, CNN, 3 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for disregard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disregard
Verb
  • Among the many things Kingsley Amis despised was the notion that a writer might regard himself as an artist.
    Rachel Cusk, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
  • Hart despises him and his blundering height, despises the hokey sentimentality of Oklahoma!
    Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 18 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Get best-in-class reporting that's too important to ignore for just $2.50 $1 per month for 1 year.
    Boutayna Chokrane, WIRED, 17 Feb. 2025
  • Prison staff had ignored warning signs of his suicide, the lawsuit claims.
    Thomas C. Zambito, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Listen to this article DFL lawmakers from Eagan and Rochester are teaming up with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison again for a bill that would set aside money to buy, then forgive, Minnesotans’ medical debt.
    Dené K. Dryden, Twin Cities, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Trump is both charming and abrasive, fast to forge connections and quick to cut them, certain to hold grudges and willing to forgive.
    Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The sequence culminates with Elphaba’s hand slap, a sharp, defiant gesture against the crowd’s indifference.
    Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 14 Feb. 2025
  • In 2023, Haenel announced her retirement from cinema, citing the complacency and indifference of the French industry to the #MeToo movement as the reason.
    Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • And don't forget to follow Allure on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, or subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on all things beauty.
    Sarah Han, Allure, 16 Feb. 2025
  • Konate’s discipline causes concern This was an afternoon to forget for Ibrahima Konate.
    Gregg Evans, The Athletic, 16 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Organizations like the Cato Institute contend that FAIR's methodology may inflate costs while also overlooking the economic contributions of undocumented workers.
    Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025
  • An infinity pool with an incredible bar overlooking a quaint, private beach?
    Christina Liao, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • At 82, McCartney was still a vision of graceful nonchalance in his fitted black jacket and crisp white shirt, hair grayed at the temples but still boyishly brushing the back of his collar.
    Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2025
  • There’s a nonchalance in his proposal that matches the domesticity of the performance.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Most of Ukraine’s ravaged cultural sites are like the shelled Reims Cathedral: perhaps not directly targeted, but destroyed with ruthless unconcern.
    Jason Farago, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2022
  • Marked by the artist’s apparent unconcern with conventional modeling and draftsmanship and by the velvety smoothness of his brushwork, the paintings exude an aura of quietude and utter perfection unrivaled in the work of his peers.
    Mary Tompkins Lewis, WSJ, 26 Nov. 2022

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Cite this Entry

“Disregard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disregard. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.

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