hear
to perceive by the ear: Didn't you hear the doorbell?
to learn by the ear or by being told; be informed of: to hear news.
to listen to; give or pay attention to: They refused to hear our side of the argument.
to be among the audience at or of (something): to hear a recital.
to give a formal, official, or judicial hearing to (something); consider officially, as a judge, sovereign, teacher, or assembly: to hear a case.
to take or listen to the evidence or testimony of (someone): to hear the defendant.
to listen to with favor, assent, or compliance.
(of a computer) to perceive by speech recognition.
to be capable of perceiving sound by the ear; have the faculty of perceiving sound vibrations.
to receive information by the ear or otherwise: to hear from a friend.
to listen with favor, assent, or compliance (often followed by of): I will not hear of your going.
(of a computer) to be capable of perceiving by speech recognition.
(used as an interjection in the phrase Hear! Hear! to express approval, as of a speech.)
Origin of hear
1synonym study For hear
Other words for hear
Opposites for hear
Other words from hear
- hear·a·ble, adjective
- hear·er, noun
- out·hear, verb (used with object), out·heard, out·hear·ing.
- re·hear, verb, re·heard, re·hear·ing.
- un·hear·a·ble, adjective
Words that may be confused with hear
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use hear in a sentence
The restrictions under which, according to the Council of Sardica, the Pope could cause a matter to be reheard, are specific.
The Church of England cleared from the charge of Schism | Thomas William Allies
British Dictionary definitions for hear
/ (hɪə) /
(tr) to perceive (a sound) with the sense of hearing
(tr; may take a clause as object) to listen to: did you hear what I said?
(when intr, sometimes foll by of or about; when tr, may take a clause as object) to be informed (of); receive information (about): to hear of his success; have you heard?
law to give a hearing to (a case)
(when intr, usually foll by of and used with a negative) to listen (to) with favour, assent, etc: she wouldn't hear of it
(intr foll by from) to receive a letter, news, etc (from)
hear! hear! an exclamation used to show approval of something said
hear tell dialect to be told (about); learn (of)
Origin of hear
1Derived forms of hear
- hearable, adjective
- hearer, noun
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with hear
In addition to the idioms beginning with hear
- hear a peep out of
- hear a pin drop, can
- hear from
- hear of
- hear oneself think, can't
- hear out
also see:
- another county heard from
- hard of hearing
- never hear the end of
- not have it (hear of it)
- unheard of
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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