listen

American  

[lis-uhn] / ˈlɪs ən /

verb (used without object)

• listens,
  present (3rd person singular)
• listened,
  past participle,  past
• listening
  present participle

1. to give attention with the ear; attend closely for the purpose of hearing; give ear.

2. to pay attention; heed; obey (often followed byto ).

   Children don't always listen to their parents.

3. to wait attentively for a sound (usually followed byfor ).

   to listen for sounds of their return.

4. Informal. to convey a particular impression to the hearer; sound.

   The new recording doesn't listen as well as the old one.

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verb (used with object)

• listens,
  present (3rd person singular)
• listened,
  past participle,  past
• listening
  present participle

1. Archaic. to give ear to; hear.

verb phrase

1. 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

1. to concentrate on hearing something

2. to take heed; pay attention

   I told you many times but you wouldn't listen

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Synonym Usage

See hear.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• listener
  noun
• relisten
  verb
• unlistening
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• listening
  present
• listened
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• listen
  simple
• listens
  simple
• have listened
  perfect
• has listened
  perfect
• am listening
  progressive
• are listening
  progressive
• is listening
  progressive
• have been listening
  perfect progressive
• has been listening
  perfect progressive

Past

• listened
  simple
• had listened
  perfect
• was listening
  progressive
• were listening
  progressive
• had been listening
  perfect progressive

Future

• will listen
  simple
• will have listened
  perfect
• will be listening
  progressive
• will have been listening
  perfect progressive

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

Explanation

If you really listen late at night after everyone's asleep, you'll hear the noises your house makes — the creaking of walls and floors, the hum of the refrigerator, the banging of the radiators. When you listen to something, you don't just hear it, but you really pay attention to the sounds. You can listen to music, listen for the sound of your guests arriving, or listen to the advice your grandfather gives you. The phrase listen in means to eavesdrop on, or deliberately overhear, a conversation. The t in the middle of the word listen is silent (you can't hear it even if you listen).

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

listen listens listened listening

You can listen to the full interview here on the Big Boss Interview podcast with Simon Jack.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

"We did not listen in the way we should have, and this family deserved better from us."

From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026

“When Byron Sher wanted to come into the office and had the bill, would he get in? Absolutely. Would the governor listen to him? Yes,” Merksamer said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

About one-third of students on average in developed countries reported that noise and disorder disrupted lessons, with 29% saying classmates don’t listen to teachers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

We listen to the rest of the song without speaking.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

He listens to them, as they navigate their complicated feelings, closely tracking the way their intersecting paths lead them toward incremental revelation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

The idea was to put on Krapp's Last Tape, an intense one-man play in which an ageing writer listens back to recordings of his younger self, remembering a lifetime of regrets and missed opportunities.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

The influencer said when people find out that she listens to Owens, they often mock her and call her a conspiracy theorist.

From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026

By the end of last year, EsDeeKid's monthly listens on Spotify had "skyrocketed", external, which Dazed said had "half of Europe rapping in his distinctive scouse accent".

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

“He never listens to me; he just cries until he gets what he wants! He’s a big baby!”

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles

In person Friday morning, El-Sayed mostly stood there and listened.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

“I’m a smart voice and should be listened to,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

A woman who had listened to me and offered guidance about raising children at a time when I had none.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

“You were even more fortunate if you engaged him in conversation or listened to his analysis, because he never failed to boost your love of the game of hockey.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

Chase pulled on a pair of cargo pants, T-shirt, and tennis shoes, then listened to the weather on the radio as he ate breakfast.

From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith

You never really know precisely who’s listening to you and sometimes the satisfaction of being a teacher or mentor is delayed and you don’t know until years later.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

Let’s see if the man who appointed him is listening.

From Slate ● Sep. 16, 2026

It requires poring over difficult books and patiently listening to what others have to say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

The sound of that 25-minute recording alongside the sight of Fiona Donohoe listening to it, her head frequently bowed, cut deep in the coroner's court that day.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

But Gramma Liz’s admonishment is still in the air, so I try the listening thing instead.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Related Words

• accept
• admit
• attend
• get
• observe
• take notice
• tune in