listen

1 of 2

verb

lis·​ten ˈli-sᵊn 

listened; listening ˈli-sᵊn-iŋ 

ˈlis-niŋ

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

transitive verb

archaic : to give ear to : hear

listen

2 of 2

noun

: an act of listening

Synonyms

Verb

• attend
• hark
• harken
• hear
• hearken
• heed
• mind

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

While the hairdresser sliced her hair, Frankie listened to the nail-salon staff bicker, and breathed the coconut-and-shea-butter air and imagined how her new self would look next to Lucia. —Ruby Opalka, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2024

Motown mainly because that’s what my parents were listening to. —Mathias Döpfner, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2024

Noun

Choose your plan → TOP STORIES Advice Moral dilemmas, relationships, parenting and more Carolyn Hax: 20-year-old listens to racist rapper. —Hannah Ziegler, Washington Post, 16 July 2024

The answer is embedded in the podcast interview and is worth a full listen as Schultz goes into detail about how the company got started and the basis of its success. —Greg Petro, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English listnen, from Old English hlysnan; akin to Sanskrit śroṣati he hears, Old English hlūd loud

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

1788, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing listen

• listen for
• listen in
• listen out for
• listen up
• listen with only half an ear

Kids Definition

listen

verb

lis·​ten

ˈlis-ᵊn

listened; listening

ˈlis-niŋ,

-ᵊn-iŋ

1

: to pay attention in order to hear

listen for a signal

listen to a new CD

2

: to give heed : follow advice

listen to a warning

listener

ˈlis-nər

-ᵊn-ər

noun