Ignoring
/ɪɡˈnɔːrɪŋ/
Definitions
2 meaningsTo disregard or pay no attention to something.
/ɪɡˈnɔːr/
To pay no attention to
He ignored the flashing warning sign.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're playing a game, and someone keeps trying to distract you. Ignoring means you don't look at them or listen, you just keep playing your game! Like when you try to concentrate on your homework when your siblings are making noise.
👶 For kids: When you ignore someone, you don't pay attention to them. It's like when your mom tells you to clean your room, and you pretend not to hear!
More Examples
She decided to ignore the emails and focus on her work.
Ignoring the problem won't make it go away.
How It's Used
"She ignored his rude comment and continued talking."
"The teacher ignored the students' disruptive behavior."
To deliberately avoid giving attention to someone or something.
/ɪɡˈnɔːr/
To refuse to take notice of
She ignored his calls and messages after their argument.
💡 Simply: Sometimes people do things we don't like, like being mean or interrupting. Ignoring is when you decide not to pay attention to those things. For example, if someone is teasing you on the playground, ignoring them might make them stop.
👶 For kids: When you pretend you don't see or hear something, you're ignoring it. Like when you don't want to eat your veggies!
More Examples
The company ignored the customer's complaints.
Ignoring the signs of danger is never a good idea.
How It's Used
"He ignored her repeated attempts to make amends."
"They chose to ignore the rumors circulating about them."
Idioms & expressions
ignore the elephant in the room
To avoid discussing an obvious issue or problem that everyone is aware of.
"They kept arguing about other issues while ignoring the elephant in the room: their lack of money."
From Middle English ignoren, from Old French ignorer, from Latin ignorare ('not to know, be ignorant of'), from in- ('not') + gnorare ('to know').
The word 'ignore' has been in use since the late 14th century, initially with a broader meaning of 'to be ignorant of'. Its meaning evolved to its current form of deliberately disregarding something by the 17th century.
Memory tip
Think of a time you pretended not to see or hear someone - you were ignoring them!
Word Origin
"not to know"