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
Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 15 July 2024
Normally, Warren says, his favorite tradition is loudly listening to music while dropping off his two daughters at school.
—Raven Brunner, Peoplemag, 15 July 2024
John Coffren, Baltimore Sun, 3 July 2024
Today's listen Maya Levin for NPR Conservative Christians — especially evangelicals — have been staunch supporters of Israel for decades.
—Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 29 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for listen 
Verb
The only way to do that is to have someone tell the stories and to have someone listen.
—Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 15 July 2024
Normally, Warren says, his favorite tradition is loudly listening to music while dropping off his two daughters at school.
—Raven Brunner, Peoplemag, 15 July 2024
Noun
Saturday: Harbor Hootenanny Give a listen to the local acoustic music scene at the Baltimore by Baltimore Harbor Hootenanny at the Inner Harbor Amphitheater.
—John Coffren, Baltimore Sun, 3 July 2024
Today's listen Maya Levin for NPR Conservative Christians — especially evangelicals — have been staunch supporters of Israel for decades.
—Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 29 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for listen
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'listen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near listen
Cite this Entry
“Listen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/listen. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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