hear

play

verb \ ˈhir \

Definition of hear

heard play \ˈhərd\; hearing play \ˈhir-iŋ\

transitive verb

1 :to perceive or become aware of by the ear

didn't hear what she said

thought I heard them leave

2 :to gain knowledge of by hearing

heard that you were ill

3 a :to listen to with attention :heed

would not hear my side of the story

b :attend

hear mass

4 a law :to give a listening to legal arguments in :to give a legal hearing to

hear a case

b law :to take testimony from

hear witnesses

intransitive verb

1 :to have the capacity of perceiving sound :to be able to become aware of sound

He doesn't hear well.

2 a :to gain information :learn

tired of hearing about his problems

b :to receive communication

haven't heard from her lately

3 :to entertain the idea —used in the negative

wouldn't hear of it

4 —often used in the expression Hear! Hear! to express approval (as during a speech)

—

hearer

play \ˈhir-ər\ noun

See hear defined for English-language learners

See hear defined for kids

Examples of hear in a Sentence

Do you hear that music?
I couldn't hear a word of what he said over all that noise.
I thought I heard him leave.
Would you turn the volume up a little? I can't hear.
I heard her in concert a few years ago.
Have you ever heard Wagner sung in English?
The committee will hear witnesses today.
I hear he's leaving town.
I don't know what happened. I'll let you know if I hear anything.
I've heard it said that smoking is bad for your health.

Recent Examples of hear from the Web

Someone called police after hearing what sounded like a single gunshot from a large caliber gun at about 7:13 a.m. Aug. 25 in the 1900 block of East Van Beck Avenue.

— milwaukee, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "South Now Police Reports: Man punches woman and throws spaghetti around residence," 30 Aug. 2017
Meanwhile, board member Charlene Tabet suggested a monthly joint committee to hear regular updates.

— priscella vega, Burbank Leader, "Amid budget hurdles, Burbank school officials brainstorm topics to discuss with City Council," 29 Aug. 2017
A Ferrari California T is quicker, but its snarling and barking V-8 seems a bit bourgeois after hearing the DB11’s 12-cylinder roar.

— james lipman, Car and Driver, "2017 Aston Martin DB11," 25 Aug. 2017
That may not be the answer some, like the Russian billionaire teaming up with Berkeley to study the star, were hoping to hear, given the rampant speculation that Tabby's Star has bred.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "New Theory for "Alien Megastructure": A Planet Like Saturn, But Close To The Sun," 25 Aug. 2017
To read novels, hear recorded music, or scroll through Instagram is not to experience the world.

— virginia heffernan, WIRED, "The Great Tech Panic: The Internet Is the Uncanniest Valley," 25 Aug. 2017
Crashes, mechanical failures and other misfortunes have relegated these two toward the back of the championship standings, and now both are hearing their names among those drivers whose jobs could be on the line.

— jim ayello, USA TODAY Sports, "Five story lines to watch as IndyCar heads to Gateway," 25 Aug. 2017
The high court declined to hear an appeal, but instead filed a supervisory order requiring the appellate court to vacate its 2016 ruling and revisit the matter once more.

— dan campana, Aurora Beacon-News, "New hearing for man convicted of killing Aurora 6-year-old in 1996," 23 Aug. 2017
Luckily San Diego bars and restaurants have heard the call for the exciting and are rolling out interesting and inventive late happy hours to treat night owls.

— laurie delk, Pacific San Diego Magazine, "Late-night happy hours to satisfy and satiate," 23 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hear.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of hear

Middle English heren, from Old English hīeran; akin to Old High German hōren to hear, and probably to Latin cavēre to be on guard, Greek akouein to hear

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

hear Synonyms

Synonyms

ascertain, catch on (to), find out, get on (to), discover, learn, realize, see, wise (up)

Antonyms

ignore, tune out

Related Words

hit (on or upon), tumble (to); descry, detect, encounter, espy, see, spot; calculate, dope (out), figure out, find, puzzle (out); discern, mind, note, observe, perceive; divine

Near Antonyms

miss, overlook; disregard, ignore; forget, unlearn; blanket, blot out, cloak, conceal, cover, curtain, enshroud, hide, mask, occult, screen, shroud, veil

HEAR Defined for English Language Learners

hear

play

verb

Definition of hear for English Language Learners

: to be aware of (sound) through the ear
: to listen to (someone or something)
: to be told (something)

HEAR Defined for Kids

hear

play

verb \ ˈhir \

Definition of hear for Students

heard \ˈhərd\; hearing \ˈhir-iŋ\

1 :to take in through the ear

I hear laughter.

2 :to have the power of hearing

He doesn't hear well.

3 :to gain knowledge of by hearing

I hear he's moving to another state.

4 :to listen to with care and attention

Wait till you hear both sides of the story.

—

hearer

\ˈhir-ər\ noun

Headscratcher for hear

You need ears to hear and you need “ear” to spell “hear.”

Medical Dictionary

hear

play

verb \ ˈhi(ə)r \

medical Definition of hear

heard play \ˈhərd\; hearing play \ˈhi(ə)r-iŋ\

transitive verb

:to perceive or apprehend by the ear

intransitive verb

:to have the capacity of apprehending sound

Law Dictionary

hear

transitive verb

legal Definition of hear

heard; hearing

1 a :to give a hearing to

the court heard the claims

the judge agreed to hear argument on the objection

b :to conduct a hearing about

the magistrate's authority to hear a matter properly before him

2 a :to take testimony from

the committee will hear 30 witnesses

b :to take (as testimony) at a hearing

the judge heard statements from the victim's family

Learn More about hear

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hear Spanish Central: Translation of hear Nglish: Translation of hear for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of hear for Arabic speakers

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Examples of hear in a Sentence

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hear Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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Near Antonyms

HEAR Defined for English Language Learners

hear

Definition of hear for English Language Learners

HEAR Defined for Kids

hear

Definition of hear for Students

hearer

Headscratcher for hear

Medical Dictionary

hear

medical Definition of hear

Law Dictionary

hear

legal Definition of hear

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