listened; listening
ˈli-sᵊn-iŋ 
ˈlis-niŋ
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
archaic
: to give ear to : hear
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
Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 21 June 2025
Trump is listening to Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Gen. Erik Kurilla, the commander of U.S. Central Command; and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, the two defense officials and a former administration official said.
—Nbc News, NBC news, 20 June 2025
Brittney Melton, NPR, 18 June 2025
The lads were famously bowled over by an early listen, but the record Wilson poured his time into wasn’t an immediate critical or chart success back at home.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for listen
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
To hear Danny Boyle’s full interview, listen to the audio above or subscribe to the Filmmaker Toolkit podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 21 June 2025
Trump is listening to Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Gen. Erik Kurilla, the commander of U.S. Central Command; and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, the two defense officials and a former administration official said.
—Nbc News, NBC news, 20 June 2025
Noun
Today's listen The pressure is mounting for the U.S. men's national soccer team as the FIFA World Cup approaches.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 18 June 2025
The lads were famously bowled over by an early listen, but the record Wilson poured his time into wasn’t an immediate critical or chart success back at home.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for listen
Cite this Entry
“Listen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/listen. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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