Ignore
/ɪɡˈnɔːr/
Definitions
2 meaningsTo pay no attention to; disregard.
/ɪɡˈnɔːr/
To refuse to take notice of or acknowledge.
The teacher told the students to ignore the noise outside.
💡 Simply: Think of it like this: you *ignore* your little brother when he's trying to annoy you, so you can focus on playing your video game. It’s like you’re choosing not to see or hear something.
👶 For kids: To not pay attention to something.
More Examples
He decided to ignore the email and focus on his work.
She chose to ignore the rumors and concentrate on her goals.
How It's Used
"She ignored his rude comments."
"He ignored the calls for help."
To intentionally disregard or avoid.
/ɪɡˈnɔːr/
To deliberately avoid (someone or something).
He ignored her attempts to apologize.
💡 Simply: It’s like when you're mad at your friend and you *ignore* them. You don't talk to them or look at them, because you are upset.
👶 For kids: To not look at someone or something on purpose.
More Examples
The company ignored the warnings about the product.
She ignored his advances, hoping he would go away.
How It's Used
"She ignored her ex-boyfriend at the party."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
bury your head in the sand
To avoid a problem or difficult situation by refusing to think about it or deal with it.
"Instead of addressing the issue, he's burying his head in the sand."
turn a blind eye
To pretend not to notice something, often something wrong or illegal.
"The police turned a blind eye to the minor offenses in the area."
From Latin *ignorare* ('not to know, disregard'), from *ignarus* ('ignorant').
Historically, the word 'ignore' has been used with consistent meaning across centuries, reflecting a deliberate choice to not acknowledge something.
Memory tip
Imagine you're at a loud concert. You 'ignore' the chatter around you to focus on the music.
Word Origin
"to not know, disregard"