variants
or harken
hearkened or harkened; hearkening
ˈhär-kə-niŋ 
ˈhärk-niŋ
or harkening
1
: listen
hearkened without much mental comment—
Theodore Dreiser
Theodore Dreiser2
: to give respectful attention
the humble folk who hearkened to these evangelists—G. M. Stephenson
G. M. Stephenson3
: to bring to mind something in the past : hearken back
Portrayals of dinosaurs with lizard-like tongues hearken to early interpretations of the beasts as oversized lizards.—Mindy Weisberger
Mindy Weisberger
archaic
: to give heed to : hear
Examples of hearken in a Sentence
hearken! I hear the distant beat of the hooves of many horses
Recent Examples on the Web
The spirit of transgression that runs throughout Amis’s work seemed continually to hearken to that which lay outside English literature’s parameters.
—Rachel Cusk, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
When asked why that is, Danson hearkens it back to his days on Cheers.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 21 Nov. 2024
Producer Andrew Watt, and backing musicians like Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pino Palladino of Nine Inch Nails, and guitarist Josh Klinghoffer helped flesh out a sound that hearkens to classic Elton without feeling like nostalgic throwbacks.
—Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2025
The spirit of transgression that runs throughout Amis’s work seemed continually to hearken to that which lay outside English literature’s parameters.
—Rachel Cusk, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hearken
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Rachel Cusk, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
When asked why that is, Danson hearkens it back to his days on Cheers.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 21 Nov. 2024
Producer Andrew Watt, and backing musicians like Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pino Palladino of Nine Inch Nails, and guitarist Josh Klinghoffer helped flesh out a sound that hearkens to classic Elton without feeling like nostalgic throwbacks.
—Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2025
The spirit of transgression that runs throughout Amis’s work seemed continually to hearken to that which lay outside English literature’s parameters.
—Rachel Cusk, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hearken
Cite this Entry
“Hearken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hearken. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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