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Synonyms for

ignore

6 synonyms for “ignore,” each with its precise meaning and an example so you pick the one that actually fits, not just the nearest match.

disregard

/dɪs-rɪ-ˈɡɑːrd/Elevated

To pay no attention to something, treating it as unworthy of notice.

She disregarded his warnings and plunged headlong into the frozen lake.

Best for: Slightly formal; works well in professional writing or serious prose.

rebuff

/rɪ-ˈbʌf/Punchy

To reject or snub something with a sharp, dismissive energy.

He rebuffed every attempt at reconciliation with a cold, practiced silence.

Best for: Best when the ignoring carries an edge of active rejection or contempt.

overlook

/ˌoʊ-vər-ˈlʊk/Elevated

To fail or choose not to see something, often deliberately passing it by.

The committee overlooked her proposal as though it had never existed.

Best for: Versatile and natural in everyday formal or narrative writing.

elide

/ɪ-ˈlaɪd/Literary

To omit or pass over something as if sliding smoothly past its existence.

The historian elided the massacre from his account with troubling ease.

Best for: Literary and precise; excellent for writing about deliberate omission.

contemn

/kən-ˈtɛm/Rare Gem

To treat something with utter scorn, dismissing it as beneath consideration.

She contemned his flattery the way a queen contemns a fool's coin.

Best for: Archaic and powerful; best suited to formal essays or historical fiction.

scout

/skaʊt/Rare Gem

To reject or ridicule something with contemptuous dismissal, treating it as absurd.

He scouted the idea entirely, laughing it from the room before it could breathe.

Best for: An obscure usage; striking in literary or rhetorical contexts for dramatic effect.

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