verb / noun · formal
neglect
/nɪˈɡlekt/ne·GLECT
Band 5-6task2speaking
to fail to give proper care or attention to someone or something; noun = lack of proper care
Examples
“Child neglect can have long-term effects on development.”
“The house had clearly been neglected for years.”
“He neglected his health while working long hours.”
Band 8 sentence
“Long-term neglect during early childhood can have irreversible effects on emotional development.”
Collocations
- child neglect
- neglect one's duties
- neglect to do something
Word family
neglecting verb (gerund/participle)neglected adjectiveneglectful adjective
Common mistakes
ignore→neglect
neglect doing something (structure)→neglect to do something / neglect doing something (both possible)
Say it for a higher band
5ignore→6forget→7+neglect
Synonyms
ignore
Easily confused
ignore
“She ignored his text messages all evening.”
Related words
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In Family & Relationships
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