neglected 1 of 2

adjective

ni-ˈglek-təd How to pronounce neglected (audio)
Definition of neglectednext
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect a neglected teddy bear, missing one eye and both ears, shoved into the closet

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neglected

2 of 2

verb

past tense of neglect
1
as in ignored
to fail to give proper attention to as usual the news media neglected the real issues of the campaign and focused on personalities

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2
as in forgot
to leave undone or unattended to especially through carelessness I've neglected my garden, and now it's overgrown with weeds

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3
as in failed
to miss the opportunity or obligation conveniently, the job applicant neglected to mention his criminal record

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of neglected
Adjective
His refusal to weaponize suffering is one of his most important — and most neglected— lessons. — Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 15 Feb. 2026 Changing their environment is more reliable and more neglected. — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Verb
The show took a more serious turn in the 80s as lawmakers neglected to respond to the AIDS epidemic. — Kalia Richardson, USA Today, 1 July 2026 When movement is restricted, when stress accumulates, when sleep is neglected, when nourishment is poor, and when our nervous system is overwhelmed, imbalance begins to appear. — Sherry McAllister, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for neglected
Recent Examples of Synonyms for neglected
  1. dilapidated
  2. ignored
  3. forgot
  4. failed
  5. abandoned
  6. omitted
Adjective
  • Sixteen children from the same family who were rescued from a dilapidated home in rural Ohio were living in wretched conditions with human waste all around, confined to just one room over much of the past four years, authorities said Wednesday.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • The parents and grandparents of 16 children found living in a dilapidated house in southern Ohio were arraigned Wednesday on more than a dozen felony child endangerment charges, officials said.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 1 July 2026
Definition of dilapidated
Verb
  • Their food might be the first mention in Talat’s many accolades, but their bar program can’t be ignored.
    — Blair Crosby, AJC.com, 5 July 2026
  • Not only were the rules misapplied, according to an expert referee with years of elite experience, but similar plays during this tournament have been ignored.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of ignored
Verb
  • In the first years after the Declaration of Independence was signed, many Americans forgot about it.
    — Theodore R. Johnson, Washington Post, 1 July 2026
  • The boy’s father was supposed to drop off the boy at school in the morning but forgot the child was in the car, Novoa said.
    — Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 30 June 2026
Definition of forgot
Verb
  • This was the case for Morocco’s opener, where Casemiro had eyes on two players at once while his team-mates failed to cut out the pass ahead of him.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 6 July 2026
  • The stutter-step approach by Bruno Guimãraes on the penalty kick failed anyway and the game remained scoreless into the first hydration break.
    — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Definition of failed
Adjective
  • According to the gallery, the 25-minute film is set in a semi-abandoned hotel near Tokyo and reimagines the Greek myth of the goddess Persephone’s abduction by Hades.
    — Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 16 June 2026
  • The city has been overwhelmed in recent years by an influx of abandoned and stray dogs and puppies.
    — Alyce McFadden, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Mar. 2026
Definition of abandoned
Verb
  • Trump’s budget omitted the request entirely and Duffy responded to the delegation’s letter urging LA Metro to apply for funds under existing programs to meet its needs.
    — Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 1 July 2026
  • In the original English translation of Dolores, the entire third part of the novel is omitted.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026
Definition of omitted

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Cite this Entry

“Neglected.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/neglected. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on neglected

Nglish: Translation of neglected for Spanish Speakers

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