hear

[heer]

verb (used with object)

heard, hearing 

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, hearing 

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 byof ).

   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. to be informed (of); receive information (about)

   to hear of his success

   have you heard?

4. law to give a hearing to (a case)

5. to listen (to) with favour, assent, etc

   she wouldn't hear of it

6. to receive a letter, news, etc (from)

7. an exclamation used to show approval of something said

8. dialect,  to be told (about); learn (of)

Other Word Forms

• hearable adjective
• hearer noun
• outhear verb (used with object)
• rehear verb
• unhearable 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

Last week, Afghanistan's Taliban government accused Pakistan of violating Kabul's "sovereign territory", as two loud blasts were heard in the city late on Thursday.

Read more on BBC

Some prisoners heard the lockdown was needed to accommodate important visitors.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It was the perfect holiday destination for Alan Smith and his family, though he had never heard of it - until he asked ChatGPT.

Read more on BBC

Kang concurs: "It's the one song that every time I hear it, I just cry. It's very emotional."

Read more on BBC

Unions representing 800,000 government employees asked a federal judge in San Francisco for an emergency order to halt the firings, ahead of a hearing set for October 16 on their legality.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

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