ignore
B2Neutral to formal. Common in both spoken and written English across all registers.
Definition
Meaning
To deliberately pay no attention to something or someone; to refuse to acknowledge or notice.
To intentionally disregard information, a person, a request, or a situation, often implying a conscious choice to treat it as unworthy of consideration or response.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies an active, often dismissive choice. It is not the same as being unaware (which is passive). Can carry negative connotations of rudeness or neglect, but can also be positive (e.g., ignoring distractions).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning or usage. Minor spelling differences may appear in derived forms (e.g., 'ignorable' vs. 'ignorable' is consistent).
Connotations
Equally strong in both dialects. Slightly more likely to be used in formal written admonishments in British English (e.g., 'The court cannot ignore the evidence').
Frequency
Very high and virtually identical frequency in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
ignore + noun/noun phrase (direct object)ignore + that-clause (e.g., He ignored that she was upset.)ignore + wh-clause (less common, e.g., Ignore what he said.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Ignore at your own peril”
- “Turn a blind eye to (similar concept)”
- “Give someone the cold shoulder (for ignoring a person)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
To disregard market trends, ignore a competitor's move, or ignore a client's complaint (with negative implications).
Academic
To ignore a key variable in a study, ignore previous research (pejorative), or ignore irrelevant data (positive).
Everyday
To ignore a text message, ignore someone you're arguing with, or ignore a minor pain.
Technical
In computing: a command or setting to ignore errors, ignore case in a search, or ignore a file in version control.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- You can't just ignore the government's guidelines.
- He was ignored by the waitstaff for a good ten minutes.
American English
- The software lets you ignore updates for 30 days.
- She totally ignored my text about the meeting change.
adverb
British English
- He waved ignorably from the back of the crowd.
- The error message flashed ignorably in the corner.
American English
- The notification chimed ignorably on her phone.
- He muttered ignorably under his breath.
adjective
British English
- The 'ignorable' pop-up was quickly closed.
- He made an ignored attempt to intervene.
American English
- The warning light was deemed ignorable by the mechanic.
- Her ignored suggestions were later adopted.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Please don't ignore me when I'm talking to you.
- Ignore that dog; it barks at everyone.
- If you ignore the instructions, the machine might not work.
- He felt sad because his friends ignored him at the party.
- The politician was accused of ignoring the concerns of ordinary voters.
- You ignore the terms and conditions at your own risk.
- The study deliberately ignored outliers to present a clearer trend.
- His magnum opus was largely ignored by contemporary critics, only to be celebrated posthumously.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'NO ENTRY' sign (ignORe). You see it, but you choose to act as if it's not there and drive on.
Conceptual Metaphor
KNOWLEDGE/ATTENTION IS A COMMODITY; to ignore is to WITHHOLD or REFUSE TO SPEND that commodity. Also, IMPORTANCE IS SIZE; to ignore is to TREAT AS SMALL/INVISIBLE.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'игнорировать' which is a direct cognate and usually correct. The main trap is using it where 'not know' or 'be unaware of' (не знать, не замечать) is more accurate, as 'ignore' requires prior awareness.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'ignore to' + verb (incorrect). Correct: 'He ignored my warning.' NOT 'He ignored to listen.'
- Using it passively where the subject is not consciously choosing (e.g., 'I ignored the stop sign' implies you saw it; if you didn't see it, you 'missed' it).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses 'ignore' INCORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The primary noun form is 'ignorance', but note that 'ignorance' means 'lack of knowledge', not the *act* of ignoring. The gerund 'ignoring' is used for the act (e.g., 'His ignoring of the rules caused problems'). 'Ignoral' is extremely rare.
No, not always. While often negative (e.g., ignoring a person is rude), it can be positive or neutral strategic behaviour (e.g., ignoring distractions to focus, or a spam filter ignoring junk mail).
'Ignore' is a conscious, immediate refusal to acknowledge. 'Neglect' implies a failure to care for something over time, often due to carelessness rather than a direct choice (e.g., neglecting a garden, neglecting duties).
Yes, though less common than simple tenses. It emphasizes the ongoing process (e.g., 'He is ignoring me right now', 'Why have you been ignoring my calls?').