neglect
B2Neutral to formal. Common in written English, academic, and professional contexts.
Definition
Meaning
To fail to give proper care or attention to someone or something, often resulting in harm or deterioration.
The state of being uncared for or the failure to perform a necessary action, duty, or task.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Typically involves an element of failure or omission, either through carelessness or deliberate choice. The result is usually negative. Can refer to people (neglect a child), things (neglect maintenance), or duties (neglect responsibilities).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in core meaning or grammatical patterns. Spelling and some collocational preferences may vary.
Connotations
Strongly negative in both varieties. Associated with dereliction of duty, harm, and irresponsibility.
Frequency
Equally common and used in similar contexts in both UK and US English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
neglect + noun (neglect your duties)neglect + to-infinitive (neglect to mention)neglect + gerund (neglect doing something - less common)be neglected (passive)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “benign neglect”
- “a history of neglect”
- “fall into neglect/disrepair”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to failing to perform duties, manage risks, or maintain assets. E.g., 'The auditor found neglect of basic financial controls.'
Academic
Used in social sciences (e.g., child neglect), history (neglect of a region), or literature (a neglected author).
Everyday
Common for household chores, personal relationships, or self-care. E.g., 'I've been neglecting my garden lately.'
Technical
In law: 'contributory negligence'; in medicine: 'neglect syndrome' (a neurological condition).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The council has neglected the park for years.
- You mustn't neglect to write to your grandmother.
- He was accused of neglecting his responsibilities.
American English
- The city neglected the old infrastructure.
- Don't neglect to file your taxes on time.
- She felt neglected by her busy partner.
adverb
British English
- No standard adverbial form. 'Negligently' is related but has a different meaning (done with negligence).
American English
- No standard adverbial form. Use phrases like 'in a neglected state'.
adjective
British English
- The neglected building was covered in ivy.
- He was a neglected author during his lifetime.
American English
- They bought a neglected property to renovate.
- It's a sadly neglected aspect of the theory.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Parents should not neglect their children.
- The house looks old and neglected.
- I neglected my homework yesterday.
- If you neglect your health, you may have problems later.
- The garden was in a state of total neglect after the summer.
- She neglected to tell me about the meeting.
- The report highlighted a shocking neglect of basic safety procedures.
- Many classic novels fell into neglect before being rediscovered.
- He was charged with wilful neglect of an animal.
- The government's benign neglect of the industry allowed for unprecedented innovation.
- Historical neglect of the region's infrastructure has created deep-seated economic problems.
- The syndrome manifests as a profound neglect of the left side of the body.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'NEGative + seLECTion' – when you select to give something negative attention (i.e., none), you NEGLECT it.
Conceptual Metaphor
NEGLECT IS A LACK OF NOURISHMENT (e.g., 'The project withered from neglect.') / NEGLECT IS A BURDEN UNCARRIED (e.g., 'He neglected his share of the load.')
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'игнорировать' (ignore), which is more active. 'Neglect' implies a failure in a duty or expected care.
- The noun 'neglect' is often better translated as 'беспризорность' (for children) or 'запущенность' (for things), not 'пренебрежение' in all contexts.
- Avoid using 'neglect' for simple forgetting; it carries a stronger sense of culpable failure.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'neglect' with a direct person object where 'ignore' is meant (e.g., 'She neglected me at the party' sounds like she failed her duty to you, not that she didn't see you).
- Confusing adjective 'neglected' (uncared for) with 'negligent' (habitually careless).
- Incorrect: 'neglect of doing something'. Correct: 'neglect to do' or 'neglect doing' (the latter is less common).
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'neglect' INCORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Neglect' implies a failure to care for something you have a responsibility towards. 'Ignore' is a conscious choice not to pay attention to something. You ignore a comment, but neglect a duty.
Typically, it's uncountable (e.g., 'years of neglect'). You can make it countable when referring to specific instances or types (e.g., 'various neglects of duty'), but this is formal and less common.
Both are grammatically possible, but 'neglect to do' is far more common and natural in modern English. 'Neglect doing' sounds slightly archaic or formal.
The main adjective is 'neglected' (meaning uncared for). Be careful not to confuse it with 'negligent', which describes a person who is habitually careless or neglectful, or 'negligible', which means insignificant.