Neglect — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ni-ˈglekt/ ne·glect

Meaning & Definition of Neglect

Neglect (verb)

  1. to give little attention or respect to, disregard
  2. to leave undone or unattended to especially through carelessness

Neglect (noun)

  1. an act or instance of neglecting something
  2. the condition of being neglected

Neglect (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the state of being unattended to or not cared for

    "for years the barn sat in neglect until one day it finally fell down"

    similar: desolation, dilapidation, disrepair, seediness
    related: inattention, negligence, abandonment, desertion, decay, decrepitude, dereliction, deterioration, disintegration, dumpiness, ruin, ruination
    opposite: keeping, repair
    near: conservation, preservation, upkeep

  2. the nonperformance of an assigned or expected action

    "your ongoing neglect of your health is going to land you in the hospital someday"

    similar: default, delinquency, dereliction, failure, misprision, negligence, nonfeasance, oversight
    related: carelessness, heedlessness, inadvertence, inadvertency, laxity
    near: compliance, discharge, fulfillment

Neglect (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to fail to give proper attention to

    "as usual the news media neglected the real issues of the campaign and focused on personalities"

    similar: bypass, disregard, forget, ignore, overlook, overpass, pass over, slight, slur (over)
    related: fail, miss, omit, brush (aside or off), reject, shrug off, slough (off), disdain, pooh-pooh, scorn, scant, skimp
    opposite: attend (to), heed, mind, regard, tend (to)
    near: appreciate, cherish, prize, treasure, value, cultivate, foster, nurse, nurture, pamper, remember, listen (to), watch, follow, mark, note, notice, observe, remark

  2. to leave undone or unattended to especially through carelessness

    "I've neglected my garden, and now it's overgrown with weeds"

    similar: forget, shirk
    related: slack (off)
    opposite: attend (to), remember
    near: carry out, do, execute, perform, accomplish, achieve, keep up, maintain

  3. to miss the opportunity or obligation

    "conveniently, the job applicant neglected to mention his criminal record"

    similar: fail, forget, omit, miss out on
    related: disregard, ignore, overlook, overpass, pass over, pretermit, slight, slide, slip, default, skip
    near: heed, mind, remember, keep, observe, carry out, do, execute, perform, practice, discharge, fulfill, meet, satisfy, comply (with)

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Neglect

The most common words with a similar meaning to Neglect:

desolation, dilapidation, disrepair, seediness, default, delinquency, dereliction, failure, misprision, negligence, nonfeasance, oversight, bypass, disregard, forget, ignore, overlook, overpass, pass over, slight, slur (over), shirk, fail, omit, miss out on

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Neglect

Words with the opposite meaning of Neglect:

keeping, repair, attend (to), heed, mind, regard, tend (to), remember

Related Words for Neglect

inattention, abandonment, desertion, decay, decrepitude, deterioration, disintegration, dumpiness, ruin, ruination, carelessness, heedlessness, inadvertence, inadvertency, laxity, miss, brush (aside or off), reject, shrug off, slough (off), disdain, pooh-pooh, scorn, scant, skimp, slack (off), pretermit, slide, slip, skip

Near Antonyms of Neglect

conservation, preservation, upkeep, compliance, discharge, fulfillment, appreciate, cherish, prize, treasure, value, cultivate, foster, nurse, nurture, pamper, listen (to), watch, follow, mark, note, notice, observe, remark, carry out, do, execute, perform, accomplish, achieve

Word Forms of Neglect

Inflections: neglected, neglecting, neglects

Derived words: neglecter (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Neglect

borrowed from Latin neglēctus, past participle of neglegere, neclegere "to disregard, do nothing about, fail to care for," from nec "not" (probably from ne- "not" + -ce, deictic element, going back to Indo-European *ḱe, *ḱi) + legere "to gather, select, read" no:1, he:1, legend

First known use: 1529

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Neglect

Words & Phrases Containing Neglect

benign neglect

Frequently Asked Questions about Neglect

What does "Neglect" mean?

"Neglect" means to give little attention or respect to, disregard. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to give little attention or respect to, disregard. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Neglect"?

Other words for "Neglect" include desolation, dilapidation, disrepair, seediness, default, delinquency, dereliction and failure. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Neglect" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Neglect"?

There are 55 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Neglect". Common alternatives include desolation, dilapidation, disrepair, seediness, default, delinquency, dereliction, failure, misprision and negligence.

What is the opposite of "Neglect"?

Antonyms of "Neglect" include keeping, repair, attend (to), heed, mind, regard, tend (to) and remember. Near antonyms include conservation, preservation, upkeep and compliance.

How do you use "Neglect" in a sentence?

Examples of "Neglect" in a sentence: "for years the barn sat in neglect until one day it finally fell down"; "your ongoing neglect of your health is going to land you in the hospital someday"; "as usual the news media neglected the real issues of the campaign and focused on personalities".

Is "Neglect" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Neglect" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Neglect" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Neglect" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Neglect"?

"Neglect" is pronounced /ni-ˈglekt/ and divided into syllables as ne·glect.