hear

[ heer ]

verb (used with object)

, heard [hurd], hear·ing.

1. to perceive by the ear:

   Didn't you hear the doorbell?

   Synonyms: attend

2. to learn by the ear or by being told; be informed of:

   to hear news.

   Synonyms: attend

3. to listen to; give or pay attention to:

   They refused to hear our side of the argument.

4. to be among the audience at or of (something):

   to hear a recital.

   Synonyms: attend

5. to give a formal, official, or judicial hearing to (something); consider officially, as a judge, sovereign, teacher, or assembly:

   to hear a case.

6. to take or listen to the evidence or testimony of (someone):

   to hear the defendant.

7. to listen to with favor, assent, or compliance.

   Synonyms: heed, regard

   Antonyms: disregard

8. (of a computer) to perceive by speech recognition.

verb (used without object)

, heard [hurd], hear·ing.

1. to be capable of perceiving sound by the ear; have the faculty of perceiving sound vibrations.
2. to receive information by the ear or otherwise:

   to hear from a friend.

3. to listen with favor, assent, or compliance (often followed by of ):

   I will not hear of your going.

4. (of a computer) to be capable of perceiving by speech recognition.
5. (used as an interjection in the phrase Hear! Hear! to express approval, as of a speech.)

hear

/ hɪə /

verb

1. tr to perceive (a sound) with the sense of hearing
2. tr; may take a clause as object to listen to

   did you hear what I said?

3. whenintr, sometimes foll by of or about; when tr, may take a clause as object to be informed (of); receive information (about)

   have you heard?

   to hear of his success

4. law to give a hearing to (a case)
5. whenintr, usually foll by of and used with a negative to listen (to) with favour, assent, etc

   she wouldn't hear of it

6. intrfoll byfrom to receive a letter, news, etc (from)
7. hear! hear!
   hear! hear! an exclamation used to show approval of something said
8. hear tell dialect.
   hear tell to be told (about); learn (of)

Derived Forms

• ˈhearer, noun
• ˈhearable, adjective

Other Words From

• hear·a·ble adjective
• hear·er noun
• out·hear verb (used with object) outheard outhearing
• re·hear verb reheard rehearing
• un·hear·a·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hear¹

First recorded before 950; Middle English heren, Old English hēran, hīeran; cognate with Dutch horen, German hören, Old Norse heyra, Gothic hausjan; perhaps akin to Greek akoúein ( acoustic )

Word History and Origins

Origin of hear¹

Old English hieran; related to Old Norse heyra, Gothic hausjan, Old High German hōren, Greek akouein

Idioms and Phrases

• another county heard from
• hard of hearing
• never hear the end of
• not have it (hear of it)
• unheard of

Synonym Study

Hear, listen apply to the perception of sound. To hear is to have such perception by means of the auditory sense: to hear distant bells. To listen is to give attention in order to hear and understand the meaning of a sound or sounds: to listen to what is being said; to listen for a well-known footstep.

Example Sentences

One wants speech to be free, but one doesn't actually want to hear it.

From The Daily Beast

Or has the see and hear and speak-no-evil stance of the Republican House persuaded him that he is in the clear?

From The Daily Beast

Do as Tumblr has done and scrub her last words off the Internet—erase everything she wanted the world to hear.

From The Daily Beast

Betrayal…you can hear it…betraying the thing he loves for a cheap bit of film publicity.

From The Daily Beast

Every other band I had been in had been pretty loud, you could never hear the vocals.

From The Daily Beast

Liszt looked at it, and to her fright and dismay cried out in a fit of impatience, "No, I won't hear it!"

From Project Gutenberg

But I hope at least to play to him a few times, and what is more important, to hear him play repeatedly.

From Project Gutenberg

And although we gabbled freely enough, MacRae avoided all mention of the persons of whom I most wished to hear.

From Project Gutenberg

“And the matter of the will was all disposed of by the probate judge today, I hear,” said the judge, his hand on the door.

From Project Gutenberg

Above all, he was amazed to hear me talk of a mercenary standing army in the midst of peace and among a free people.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• determine
• discover
• find out
• gather
• learn
• pick up
• receive
• see
• understand