Meaning & use
disregard
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To pay no attention to something or treat it as unimportant, usually on purpose.
Grammar: Takes an object: disregard the warning.
Patterns
- disregard something
- disregard what someone says
Please disregard my last email; it was sent by mistake.
The driver disregarded the speed limit.
They disregarded their doctor's advice.
noununcountable
A lack of attention, respect or concern for someone or something.
Grammar: Uncountable, usually followed by for: disregard for the rules.
Patterns
- disregard for something
- with disregard of something
He showed a complete disregard for other people's feelings.
The company acted in total disregard of safety rules.
Her disregard for tradition upset the committee.
Word forms
| third person singular | disregards |
|---|---|
| past tense | disregarded |
| past participle | disregarded |
| -ing form | disregarding |
Common combinations
- blatantly disregard
- The firm blatantly disregarded the court order.
- complete disregard for
- He drove with complete disregard for safety.
- disregard the advice
- She chose to disregard the advice of her friends.
- reckless disregard
- The accident resulted from reckless disregard of the rules.
- disregard the instructions
- Disregard the instructions on the box and use this guide.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ignore
- Ignore is more common and can mean refusing to notice someone, while disregard stresses treating something as unimportant.
- overlook
- Overlook usually means failing to notice by mistake, whereas disregard is deliberate.
- neglect
- Neglect means failing to look after something properly, and disregard means choosing not to pay attention.
- brush aside
- Brush aside is informal and suggests dismissing something quickly.
Opposites
Word family
- regard noun
- attention or respect for something
- regard verb
- to consider or look at in a certain way
- regardless adverb
- without paying attention to the situation
- disregarded adjective
- ignored or not taken seriously
Commonly confused: disregard or disrespect? disregard or regardless?
disregard vs disrespect
Disrespect means showing rudeness or lack of respect, while disregard means paying no attention.
disregard vs regardless
Regardless means despite everything; it is related but does not take an object like disregard.
Practice
The manager asked everyone to ___ the earlier message because it contained an error.
Choose one answer.
Disregard means to pay no attention to something, so it suits an incorrect message. Regard and obey would mean the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “disregard”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.