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GRE vocabulary

neglect

verbHigh-frequency wordMore N words

to fail to care for or give proper attention to someone or something

Word origin: From Latin neg, not, and legere, to pick up or heed.

In a sentence

Neglect in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing neglect in a sentence.

The garden had been neglected for years and was overrun with weeds.

Decades of neglect left the historic archive vulnerable to the flood that destroyed half its manuscripts.

Synonyms
disregardoverlookignoreabandon
Antonyms
nurtureattendcherishmaintain
Usage & nuance

Using “neglect” well

Neglect means failing to give proper care or attention, whether to duties, property, or people. It can imply either deliberate disregard or simple carelessness, but the result is harmful inattention.

Common questions

Questions about “neglect

Neglect (verb) means to fail to care for or give proper attention to someone or something
Here is neglect used in an example sentence: "The garden had been neglected for years and was overrun with weeds." Another example: "Decades of neglect left the historic archive vulnerable to the flood that destroyed half its manuscripts."
Common synonyms for neglect include disregard, overlook, ignore, abandon.
Antonyms of neglect include nurture, attend, cherish, maintain.
Neglect clusters with disregard, overlook, ignore, and abandon. Its antonyms nurture, attend, cherish, and maintain mark the opposite action of caring for something.
Yes. Neglect is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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