listens; listened; listening
1
a
: to pay attention to someone or something in order to hear what is being said, sung, played, etc.
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.
—often + toEveryone listened closely/carefully to the firefighter's instructions.
I enjoy listening to classical music.
He turned the radio on and listened to the news.
b
—used to tell a person to listen to what you are saying
Listen, no one is more concerned about this problem than I am.
Now listen (here), you can't keep treating people this way.
2
: to hear what someone has said and understand that it is serious, important, or true
She tried to warn him of the dangers, but he wouldn't listen.
—often + toNobody listened to her warnings.
Her ideas are worth listening to.
I told him to be more careful, but he wouldn't listen to me.
You should listen to your father [=you should take your father's advice]: he knows what he's talking about.
The judge refused to listen to their pleas.
: the act of listening to something
Have a listen to this. [=listen to this]
Cite this Entry
“Listen.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/listen. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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