listen

verb

lis·ten | \ˈli-sᵊn

listened; listening\ ˈlis-niŋ ,

ˈli-sᵊn-iŋ \

Definition of listen

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

archaic : to give ear to : hear

intransitive verb

1 : to pay attention to sound listen to music

2 : to hear something with thoughtful attention : give consideration listen to a plea

3 : to be alert to catch an expected sound listen for his step

listen

noun

Definition of listen (Entry 2 of 2)

: an act of listening

Other Words from listen Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about listen

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Synonyms & Antonyms for listen

Synonyms: Verb

attend, hark, harken, hear, hearken, heed, mind

Antonyms: Verb

ignore, tune out

Examples of listen in a Sentence

Verb

I listened as hard as I could, but I couldn't hear a word of what he said over all that noise. She listened with interest as he told her about his travels. She tried to warn him of the dangers, but he wouldn't listen.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Sound Seers™: These acoustic sensors listen for audio that indicates a weapon is being activated and about to be used, supplementing the S-Pod’s visuals. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "The World of 2045," 14 Oct. 2018 But the number one thing to keep in mind, Somalia says, is to do what feels right, and most importantly — listen to what your hair and body are telling you. — Eman Idil, Allure, "These Natural Hair-Care Tips Are a Must If You Wear a Hijab," 19 July 2018 Follow him on Twitter @azbobbymac and listen to him live every Tuesday afternoon between 3-6 on 1580-AM The Fanatic with Roc and Manuch and every Wednesday afternoon between 1-3 on Fox Sports 910-AM on The Freaks with Kenny and Crash. — Bob Mcmanaman, azcentral, "Two players get selected in NFL supplemental draft, but Cardinals don't get involved," 11 July 2018 Failure to listen to military officials could result in fines or being taken in to custody. — Deasia Paige, Detroit Free Press, "Bayview Mackinac race, Air Force training exercise could collide," 13 July 2018 Walmart wants to listen to its workers and shoppers more. — Jason Silverstein, CBS News, "Walmart patents audio surveillance technology to record customers and employees," 13 July 2018 Click below to listen to the music and watch the full video above. — Sarah Nechamkin, The Cut, "Watch Kenzo’s Dreamy Reimagining of an Ancient Japanese Folktale," 13 July 2018 In one memorable lesson, my uncle stood on the porch during a thunderstorm and called us outside to listen to the crash of thunderclaps. — Sadia Hassan, Longreads, "Silence is a Lonely Country: A Prayer in Twelve Parts," 13 July 2018 Then, be willing to listen to the answer without getting defensive. — Anne Roderique-jones, SELF, "Am I a Selfish Person? I Set Out to Find Out," 8 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Michelle is a visiting lecturer in composition at Dartmouth, and her sound world is worth many listens. — Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader, "Ensemble dal Niente pianist Mabel Kwan on a playful post-smartphone look at David," 10 Jan. 2018 Teen Vogue has your exclusive first listen of the single that Charlotte believes could be her most significant work to date. — Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "Charlotte Lawrence Debuts "Keep Me Up (Anxiety Song)"," 10 May 2018 How would the proposal force the majority party in listen to the minority party? — Rich Exner, cleveland.com, "Ohio Issue 1 Q&A: congressional redistricting and the ills of gerrymandering - Election preview," 3 May 2018 Nonetheless, take a listen and try not to hear the album’s influence on a good chunk of the indie rock bands from your college town in the early- to mid-2000s. — Kevin Rutherford, Billboard, "Eight Less-Heard Debut Efforts From 1998's Rock Rookie Class -- And How They Stack Up Today," 31 May 2018 Glover’s song deserves a second listen for its sheer creativity and shock value. — Raisa Bruner, Time, "Best Songs of 2018 So Far," 1 June 2018 David Bowie singing about trying to get to heaven before the door closes post 2016 makes for a difficult listen. — Jessi Roti, chicagotribune.com, "15 of the weirdest Bob Dylan cover songs to celebrate his birthday," 24 May 2018 Take a listen to Ebro's chat with Rosenberg and Stylez below. — Carl Lamarre, Billboard, "Hot 97's Ebro Darden Claims Kanye West Was Almost Featured on Drake's 'Nice for What'," 29 May 2018 The perfect song of the summer doesn’t always identify itself on first listen. — Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, "Cardi B’s ‘I Like It’ Is the Song of the Summer," 29 May 2018

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