Neglected — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ni-ˈglek-təd/ ne·glect·ed

Meaning & Definition of Neglected

Neglected (adjective)

  1. not given proper or necessary care or attention

Neglected (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect

    "a neglected teddy bear, missing one eye and both ears, shoved into the closet"

    similar: beat-up, bombed-out, dilapidated, dog-eared, down-at-the-heels, dumpy, grungy, mangy, mean, miserable, moth-eaten, ratty, run-down, scrubby, scruffy, seedy, shabby, sleazy, tacky, tatterdemalion, tatty, threadbare, timeworn, tumbledown, gone to seed
    related: abandoned, unkept, desolate, forlorn, godforsaken, broken-down, decrepit, tired, worn-out, bedraggled, dingy, ragged, tattered, decaying, deteriorated, deteriorating, rackety, ramshackle, rattletrap, rickety, broken, damaged, destroyed, harmed, hurt, impaired, injured, ruined, wrecked
    near: brand-new, fresh, new, cared-for, kept-up, maintained, mended, patched, rebuilt, reconstructed, smart, spiffy, spruce

Neglected (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: bypassed, disregarded, forgot, ignored, overlooked, overpassed, passed over, slighted, slurred (over)
    related: failed, missed, omitted, brushed (aside or off), rejected, shrugged off, sloughed (off), disdained, pooh-poohed, scorned, scanted, skimped
    opposite: attended (to), heeded, minded, regarded, tended (to)
    near: appreciated, cherished, prized, treasured, valued, cultivated, fostered, nursed, nurtured, pampered, remembered, listened (to), watched, followed, marked, noted, noticed, observed, remarked

  2. to leave undone or unattended to especially through carelessness

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

    similar: forgot, shirked
    related: slacked (off)
    opposite: attended (to), remembered
    near: carried out, did, executed, performed, accomplished, achieved, kept up, maintained

  3. to miss the opportunity or obligation

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

    similar: failed, forgot, omitted, missed out on
    related: disregarded, ignored, overlooked, overpassed, passed over, pretermitted, slighted, slid, slipped, defaulted, skipped
    near: heeded, minded, remembered, kept, observed, carried out, did, executed, performed, practiced, discharged, fulfilled, met, satisfied, complied (with)

Related Entry: Neglect (verb)

Neglect is a different word from Neglected. The synonyms below are for neglect, not for neglected.

  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 Neglected

The most common words with a similar meaning to Neglected:

beat-up, bombed-out, dilapidated, dog-eared, down-at-the-heels, dumpy, grungy, mangy, mean, miserable, moth-eaten, ratty, run-down, scrubby, scruffy, seedy, shabby, sleazy, tacky, tatterdemalion, tatty, threadbare, timeworn, tumbledown, gone to seed, bypassed, disregarded, forgot, ignored, overlooked, overpassed, passed over, slighted, slurred (over), shirked, failed, omitted, missed out on

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Neglected

Words with the opposite meaning of Neglected:

attended (to), heeded, minded, regarded, tended (to), remembered

Related Words for Neglected

abandoned, unkept, desolate, forlorn, godforsaken, broken-down, decrepit, tired, worn-out, bedraggled, dingy, ragged, tattered, decaying, deteriorated, deteriorating, rackety, ramshackle, rattletrap, rickety, broken, damaged, destroyed, harmed, hurt, impaired, injured, ruined, wrecked, missed

Near Antonyms of Neglected

brand-new, fresh, new, cared-for, kept-up, maintained, mended, patched, rebuilt, reconstructed, smart, spiffy, spruce, appreciated, cherished, prized, treasured, valued, cultivated, fostered, nursed, nurtured, pampered, listened (to), watched, followed, marked, noted, noticed, observed

Origin & Etymology of Neglected

from past participle of neglect:1

First known use: 1570

Frequently Asked Questions about Neglected

What does "Neglected" mean?

"Neglected" means not given proper or necessary care or attention. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: not given proper or necessary care or attention. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Neglected"?

Other words for "Neglected" include beat-up, bombed-out, dilapidated, dog-eared, down-at-the-heels, dumpy, grungy and mangy. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Neglected" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Neglected"?

There are 83 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Neglected". Common alternatives include beat-up, bombed-out, dilapidated, dog-eared, down-at-the-heels, dumpy, grungy, mangy, mean and miserable.

What is the opposite of "Neglected"?

Antonyms of "Neglected" include attended (to), heeded, minded, regarded, tended (to) and remembered. Near antonyms include brand-new, fresh, new and cared-for.

How do you use "Neglected" in a sentence?

Examples of "Neglected" in a sentence: "a neglected teddy bear, missing one eye and both ears, shoved into the closet"; "as usual the news media neglected the real issues of the campaign and focused on personalities"; "I've neglected my garden, and now it's overgrown with weeds".

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

"Neglected" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Neglected"?

"Neglected" is pronounced /ni-ˈglek-təd/ and divided into syllables as ne·glect·ed.

What is the origin of the word "Neglected"?

"Neglected" comes from from past participle of neglect:1. First known use: 1570.