listen
verb (used without object)
to give attention with the ear; attend closely for the purpose of hearing; give ear.
have been listening
-
present perfect progressiveof listen.present perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that began in the past, has continued continuously, and is still in progress.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
K-pop artists had never scored nominations in the Grammys’ marquee categories before 2025, even though some Americans have been listening to the genre for years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 27, 2025
Rob Reiner added: "We listened to them when we should have been listening to our son."
From BBC ● Dec. 15, 2025
The follow-up question will come to you if you have been listening and are curious about your friend, says Bonfil.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2025
“Somebody who might have been listening to the top 40 station in their town goes like, ‘Oh, that’s cool.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 17, 2024
Two other runners have been listening in—Colin Johnson and Melanie Matta.
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
