Ignore

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Ignore

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

verb

Pronunciation

ig-NOR  /ɪɡˈnɔː/

Definition

To deliberately pay no attention to; to intentionally disregard or refuse to acknowledge someone or something; in law (historical), for a grand jury to reject an indictment as unsupported by evidence.

Plain meaning

To ignore someone or something means to deliberately not pay attention to it — to treat it as if it is not there or does not matter. You ignore a rude comment. You ignore a warning sign. Your phone ignores a request if it doesn't respond. The word implies a conscious choice not to engage. It's distinct from simply not noticing — ignoring is deliberate.

Register

Neutral and widely used across all registers. Ignore is one of the most commonly used verbs in English. The distinction between ignore (deliberate) and miss or overlook (unintentional) is important for accuracy. Ignore can carry a social weight — to be ignored by someone is to be treated as though one does not matter.