Word
ignore
Phoneticsig·nore, stress on the second syllable
US/ˌɪɡˈnɔɹ/
UK/ɪɡnˈɔː/
Definitions
01to disregard information
B1 · Intermediate
v. to choose not to listen to or pay attention to something, like advice or a warning.
v. to deliberately disregard or pay no attention to information, advice, or a stimulus.
“I decided to ignore his rude comments and keep working.”
“The board of directors chose to ignore the consultant's warnings about the declining market, a decision that eventually led to a significant financial loss.”
Usage
Takes a direct object; cannot be followed by an infinitive with 'to'.
Pitfall
He ignored to my advice.
He ignored my advice.
The verb 'ignore' is transitive and takes a direct object; do not use the preposition 'to'.
02to snub someone
B1 · Intermediate
v. to pretend you do not see or hear someone you know.
v. to intentionally fail to acknowledge a person's presence or communication.
“She ignored me in the hallway even though I said hello.”
“Despite having worked together for years, he pointedly ignored his former colleague at the industry conference.”
Teaching tip
This sense often implies a social 'snub' and can be perceived as quite aggressive or rude depending on the context.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “ignore” in context.
Verb
01. completely ignore
“The government has completely ignored the advice of its own experts.”
adv + verb
02. conveniently ignore
“They chose to conveniently ignore the facts that didn't support their theory.”
adv + verb
03. deliberately ignore
“He deliberately ignored my question and started talking to someone else.”
adv + verb
04. largely ignore
“The warnings were largely ignored by the local population.”
adv + verb
Noun
05. ignore advice
“If you ignore my advice, you will likely regret it later.”
verb + noun
06. ignore plea
“The judge ignored his plea for mercy and handed down a strict sentence.”
verb + noun
07. ignore reality
“We cannot simply ignore reality and hope the problem goes away.”
verb + noun
08. ignore warning
“Drivers who ignore the warning signs risk getting a heavy fine.”
verb + noun
09. choose to ignore
“Many people choose to ignore the health risks of smoking.”
10. ignore the fact that
“You can't ignore the fact that we are running out of money.”
11. impossible to ignore
“The smell of leaking gas was impossible to ignore.”
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃-der. Latin ignōrōlbor. French ignorer English ignore From French ignorer, from Latin ignōrō (“to have no knowledge of, mistake, take no notice of, ignore”), from ignārus (“not knowing”), from in + gnārus (“knowing”), from gnōscō, nōscō; see know.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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