Synonyms

listen

American

[lis-uhn] / ˈlɪs ən /

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 byto ).

Children don't always listen to their parents.
to wait attentively for a sound (usually followed byfor ).

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.

verb (used with object)

Archaic. to give ear to; hear.

verb phrase

listen in
1. to listen to a radio or television broadcast.
  
  Listen in tomorrow for the names of the lottery winners.
2. to overhear a conversation or communication, especially by telephone; eavesdrop.
  
  Someone was listening in to his private calls.

listen British

/ ˈlɪsən /

verb

to concentrate on hearing something
to take heed; pay attention

I told you many times but you wouldn't listen

"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

Related Words

See hear.

Other Word Forms

listener noun
relisten verb
unlistening adjective

Etymology

Origin of listen

First recorded before 950; Middle English lis(t)nen, Old English hlysnan; cognate with Middle High German lüsenen, Swedish lyssna; akin to list ⁵

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.

A coroner has called for better signs at level crossings after a runner listening to music died when he was hit by a train.

From BBC

“We want you to know that we’re listening,” the company that has become the dominant force in licensed sports merchandise and trading card markets in recent years said in a Feb. 2 statement.

From Los Angeles Times

It was one of several jabs that could be heard if one listened closely enough.

From Los Angeles Times

And even if both sides are talking more, not everyone is listening.

From Barron's

These are some of the revelations from a breakdown of listening habits on Spotify and YouTube in 2025 in more than a dozen of the UK's biggest cities.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023