listen

(lĭs'ən)
intr.v., -tened, -ten·ing, -tens.

1. To make an effort to hear something: listen to the radio; listening for the bell.
2. To pay attention; heed: "She encouraged me to listen carefully to what country people called mother wit" (Maya Angelou).

n.
An act of listening: Would you like to give the CD a listen before buying it?

phrasal verb:

listen in

1. To listen to a conversation between others; eavesdrop.
2. To tune in and listen to a broadcast.

[Middle English listenen, alteration (influenced by listen, to list, listen; see list⁴) of Old English hlysnan.]

listener lis'ten·er n.

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verb

1. To make an effort to hear something: hark, hearken. Archaic list³. Idioms: givelendan ear. See sounds/pleasant sounds/unpleasant sounds/neutral sounds or silence.
2. To perceive by ear, usually attentively: attend, hark, hear, heed. Archaic hearken. Idioms: givelendone's ear. See sounds/pleasant sounds/unpleasant sounds/neutral sounds or silence.

v

Definition: hear and pay attention
Antonyms: ignore, speak, talk

IN BRIEF: One who pays attention in order to hear.

A good listener is not someone with nothing to say. A good listener is a good talker with a sore throat. — Katharine Whitehorn

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sign description: The C-hand makes a cupping motion over the ear.

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Quotes:

"Listening, not imitation, may be the sincerest form of flattery." - Dr. Joyce Brothers

"The less you talk, the more you're listened to." - Abigail Van Buren

"It is a rare person who wants to hear want he doesn't want to hear." - Dick Cavett

"One who cares is one who listens." - J. Richard Clarke

"No one every listened themselves out of a job." - Calvin Coolidge

"Listen. Don't explain or justify." - William G. Dyer

See more famous quotes about Listening

For a list of words related to listen, see:

• Sound, Hearing, and Deafness - listen: (vb) give attention with the ear for purpose of hearing; wait attentively in expectation of perceiving a sound

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See words rhyming with "listener."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Listen.

Dansk (Danish)
v. intr. - lytte, lytte efter, høre efter
n. - lytten

idioms:

• listen in    høre radio, lytte, lure
• listen out for    lytte efter, lytte anspændt efter
• listen to reason    tage imod fornuft

Nederlands (Dutch)
luisteren, meeluisteren, toehoren, luisteren naar advies, Luister eens!

Français (French)
v. intr. - écouter, guetter
n. - écoute

idioms:

• listen in    écouter aux portes, tendre l'oreille, (Radio) écouter
• listen out for    prêter une oreille attentive à
• listen to reason    écouter la voix de la raison

Deutsch (German)
v. - zuhören
n. - Hören, Lauschen

idioms:

• listen in    mithören, hören
• listen out for    horchen
• listen to reason    sich überzeugen lassen, vernünftig zu handeln

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - αφουγκράζομαι, ακούω (προσεκτικά), προσέχω

idioms:

• listen in    παρακολουθώ ή υποκλέπτω εκπομπή ή ιδιωτική συνομιλία, συνακροώμαι
• listen out for    αφουγκράζομαι, περιμένω ν' ακούσω
• listen to reason    παίρνω από λόγια

Italiano (Italian)
ascoltare

idioms:

• listen in    ascoltare
• listen out for    mettersi in ascolto

Português (Portuguese)
v. - escutar, ouvir

idioms:

• listen in    escutar um programa de rádio
• listen out for    ficar atento a um som

Русский (Russian)
слушать, выслушивать, прислушиваться, слушаться, слушание

idioms:

• listen in    подслушивать, слушать радио, перехватывать радиопередачи или телефонные разговоры
• listen out for    жадно слушать

Español (Spanish)
v. intr. - escuchar, oír
n. - escucha

idioms:

• listen in    escuchar a hurtadillas, escuchar la radio
• listen out for    estar atento, tratar de captar
• listen to reason    avenirse a razones

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - lyssna, höra på, höra efter, (poet.) lyssna på

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
听, 留神听, 听从, 听信, 倾听

idioms:

• listen in    收听, 偷听, 监听
• listen out for    请留心听好...
• listen to reason    服理

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. intr. - 聽, 留神聽, 聽從, 聽信
n. - 聽, 傾聽

idioms:

• listen in    收聽, 偷聽, 監聽
• listen out for    請留心聽好...
• listen to reason    服理

한국어 (Korean)
v. intr. - 듣다, 귀 기울이다, 들리다
n. - 듣기

idioms:

• listen in    엿듣다 , 도청하다
• listen out for    귀를 기울이다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 聞くこと
v. - 聞く, 耳を貸す, 従う

idioms:

• listen in    ラジオで聞く, 盗み聞きする
• listen out for    耳を澄ます
• listen to reason    道理に従う

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يصغي, ينصت‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. intr. - ‮האזין, הקשיב, נענה לעיצה או לבקשה, שמע בקול‬
n. - ‮הקשבה, האזנה‬

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