French word

négliger

Pronunciation

IPA/negliʒe/

Meaning

  • verbneglect

Example

Je ne néglige pas mes devoirs.

I do not neglect my homework.

Illustration for négliger (neglect)

More examples

Il ne faut pas négliger la sécurité.

One must not neglect safety.

Core concept

A required duty, person, or detail left without needed attention or follow-up.

Common phrases

  • négliger ses devoirs

    neglect one's homework

  • négliger sa santé

    neglect one's health

  • négliger un détail

    overlook a detail

Similar words

oublier: Forget something and fail to do or mention it as a result.
ignorer: Disregard something by giving it no attention.
délaisser: Abandon the care or attention previously given to something.
omettre: Fail to include a required action or detail in writing or speech.

Definition in French

Ne pas faire ce qui est nécessaire pour une tâche, une personne ou un détail attendu, en omettant les soins ou le suivi requis.

Word origin

French négliger comes through Old French from Latin neglegere, built from neg- 'not' and legere 'gather or pick up'.

Usage tips

  • Négliger takes a direct object for a person or thing, while négliger de plus an infinitive means failing to do an action.

Other meanings

  • ignoreverb
  • underestimateverb
  • leave unattendedverb

Opposites

Related words

  • négligencenegligencenoun
  • négligentnegligentadjective
  • négligemmentnegligentlyadverb

Word lists with this word