neglect

neglect — verb

1. to fail to look after someone or something that depends on you properly, by not

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to fail to look after someone or something that depends on you properly, by not spending enough time or effort on them

Example

Karim neglected his grandmother's garden, and the roses all died.

transitive: neglect + [possession/responsibility]

The hospital was criticised for neglecting the basic needs of elderly patients.

passive construction: be criticised for neglecting

Common collocations
  • neglect your duties
  • neglect your children
  • neglect your health
  • neglect your studies
  • neglect your appearance
Synonyms
  • ignore

    stronger and more deliberate — implies actively choosing not to pay attention rather than simply failing to care

  • abandon

    more extreme — suggests leaving someone or something permanently rather than just failing to give enough care

  • disregard

    more formal and intentional — treating something as unworthy of attention

Antonyms
  • care for

    to look after someone or something attentively

  • attend to

    to give proper care and attention to a task or person

Grammar Patterns

neglect + someone/something

Usage Note

Frequently used with personal objects (children, parents, health) or practical responsibilities (work, studies, garden, repairs). Often appears in passive constructions when criticising institutions or authorities.

Common Mistakes

I neglected about my homework.
I neglected my homework.
neglect is transitive and takes a direct object without a preposition.
She neglected her childs needs.
She neglected her child's needs.
the possessive form of 'child' is 'child's'.

2. to omit doing something that was required or expected, usually because of forget

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to omit doing something that was required or expected, usually because of forgetfulness or a lack of time

Example

Takeshi neglected to lock the back door and a neighbour's cat got inside.

neglect + to-infinitive (fail to do)

Maja had neglected to pay her electricity bill and the power was cut off.

Common collocations
  • neglect to mention
  • neglect to inform
  • neglect to pay
  • neglect to lock
  • neglect to tell
Synonyms
  • omit

    more neutral and slightly less common; can suggest an honest oversight

  • overlook

    suggests failing to notice rather than failing to make time for something

  • skip

    informal and more deliberate — choosing not to do something

Antonyms
  • remember

    to not forget to do what was planned

  • perform

    to carry out a required task properly

Grammar Patterns

neglect + to-infinitive

Usage Note

This sense always takes a to-infinitive complement (neglect to do). It does not take a gerund (neglect doing). Distinguish from sense 1 (FAIL TO CARE FOR), which takes a noun object.

Common Mistakes

He neglected doing the dishes.
He neglected to do the dishes.
neglect meaning 'fail to do' requires a to-infinitive, not a gerund.
I neglected that I had to call her.
I neglected to call her.
neglect does not take a that-clause; use the to-infinitive structure.

neglect — noun

Word family

  • neglected
    adjectiveB2
  • neglectful
    adjectiveC1
  • negligence
    nounC1
  • negligent
    adjectiveC1
  • negligibly
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Neglect and ignore both mean paying insufficient attention, but neglect carries a sense of failing in a duty or responsibility, whereas ignore suggests a more deliberate choice to look the other way. Abandon is far stronger — it means leaving someone or something permanently, often with no intention of returning. Overlook usually involves an accidental failure to notice rather than a failure of care. Disregard is the most formal of these and implies consciously treating something as unworthy of consideration. For example, a parent who neglects a child has failed to provide proper care; a parent who ignores a child may be refusing to listen. A gardener who abandons the garden stops visiting it altogether, while one who overlooks a weed simply didn't spot it.

neglect ↗ignore ↗abandon ↗overlook ↗disregard

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • fall into neglect
  • suffer from neglect
  • a state of neglect
  • signs of neglect

Prepositions

  • in neglect
  • through neglect
  • into neglect
  • by neglect

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Neglect comes from the Latin verb neglegere, meaning 'to disregard, be careless of'. This Latin word was formed by joining nec ('not') and legere ('to pick up, gather, choose'). The idea was literally 'not to pick up' — to leave something aside, to ignore it. The word entered English through French in the 1500s, first used in legal and moral contexts before broadening to everyday situations.