This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
/ ˈlɪs ən /PHONETIC RESPELLING
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
verb [used without object]
to give attention with the ear; attend closely for the purpose of hearing; give ear.
to pay attention; heed; obey [often followed by to]: Children don't always listen to their parents.
to wait attentively for a sound [usually followed by for]: to listen for sounds of their return.
Informal. to convey a particular impression to the hearer; sound: The new recording doesn't listen as well as the old one.
Archaic. to give ear to; hear.
- to listen to a radio or television broadcast: Listen in tomorrow for the names of the lottery winners.
- to overhear a conversation or communication, especially by telephone; eavesdrop: Someone was listening in to his private calls.
What Is The Difference Between The Words "Hear" And "Listen"?
See, everybody says they want to be heard. But, in actuality, they want to be listened to.
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Here is our second set of teacher-selected PSAT vocabulary words. Do you know the meanings of these terms?
Origin of listen
OTHER WORDS FROM listen
lis·ten·er, nounre·lis·ten, verbun·lis·ten·ing, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use listen in a sentence
About a dozen attendees, socially distanced across the backyard, listened.
The real skill is pattern recognition over time of who is actually useful for good information knowing who to listen to and for what.
Instead, I took to spending whole days in the wetland, watching and listening.
As always, thanks for the feedback and thanks for listening.
Even Spotify only shows you speed options when youre listening to podcasts.
But if you listen to our leaders, they weren't the real targets here.
What an amazing thing to be able to listen to any music you want, a whole world of bands.
One of the rites of passage for every young political reporter is to listen to the elders tell stories about campaigns past.
But then I thought about the feedback I get from fans, yes we do listen to you, and thought why not?
Why would they listen to the radio when they can see the outside world?
But he walked up and down the room and forced himself to listen, though he could scarcely bear it, I could see.
Shopkeepers ran out of their shops, housewives craned over their balconies to listen to him.
I am always astonished, amazed and delighted afresh, and even as I listen I can hardly believe that the man can play so!
No one would listen to him but old Monsieur Farival, who went into convulsions over the droll story.
I knew, further, that Sunday could not be a day of rest for her, for of all his people she would have to listen to his preaching.
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British Dictionary definitions for listen
to concentrate on hearing something
to take heed; pay attentionI told you many times but you wouldn't listen
Derived forms of listen
listener, nounWord Origin for listen
Old English hlysnan; related to Old High German lūstrēn
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012