neglected

adjective

ne·​glect·​ed ni-ˈglek-təd 

: not given proper or necessary care or attention

neglected children

a neglected subject

a sadly neglected garden

Synonyms of neglected

• dilapidated
• abandoned

Examples of neglected in a Sentence

a neglected teddy bear, missing one eye and both ears, shoved into the closet

Recent Examples on the Web

Cinematographer Guillermo Garza shoots neglected settings like fine art, embracing the grime. —Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2026

An El Segundo father says that he was arrested in early March for taking matters into his own hands by installing stop signs and repainting a neglected and dangerous intersection. —Jasmine Viel, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2026

For patients living with rare and neglected diseases, the next breakthrough treatment might already be sitting in a pharmaceutical company’s filing cabinet. —Annette Bakker, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026

His refusal to weaponize suffering is one of his most important — and most neglected— lessons. —Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 15 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of neglect entry 1

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for neglected

• affected
• bisected
• collected
• connected
• corrected
• defected
• deflected
• dejected
• detected
• directed
• dissected
• effected