# ignoring

/ˌɪɡˈnɔɹɪŋ/ (US) · /ɪɡnˈɔːɹɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ignoring
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. not paying attention

verb · CEFR A2

choosing not to notice or listen to someone or something.

For teachers: the present participle of 'ignore', describing the act of deliberately refusing to acknowledge or respond to a person or stimulus.

- She was ignoring her phone because she didn't want to talk to anyone.
- By ignoring the early warning signs of engine failure, the driver inadvertently caused much more expensive damage to the vehicle.

Usage: Often used with a direct object representing the person or thing being disregarded.

### 2. the act of disregarding

noun · CEFR B2

the act of not paying attention to something.

For teachers: the gerund form used as a noun to describe the process or instance of disregarding something.

- His constant ignoring of the safety rules finally got him into trouble.
- The systematic ignoring of minority viewpoints during the debate led to a final proposal that lacked broad community support.

Usage: Typically followed by 'of' when used as a noun.

## Examples

- She is ignoring my text messages today.
- The driver got a ticket for ignoring the stop sign at the corner of the street.
- By ignoring the early warning signs of structural fatigue, the engineering firm inadvertently contributed to the eventual failure of the bridge during the storm.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.