hearken
verb (used without object)
to give heed or attention to what is said; listen.
was hearkening
-
past progressiveof hearken.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
“His ‘toast’ comment was hearkening back to yesteryear,” when advertisers clamored to place their ads in newspapers as the only game in town, the Omaha Guild’s Cooper told me.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2019
"I was hearkening back to this ancient idea and then seeing if I could break that apart somehow."
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 3, 2016
Robledo was hearkening carefully to certain careful instructions from the Duke of Alva, nodding with a smile of malicious portent at the final words.
From The Ghost Breaker A Novel Based Upon the Play by Charles Goddard
Tom was hearkening, for directly after there was another crash, and another.
From The Vast Abyss The Story of Tom Blount, his Uncles and his Cousin Sam by George Manville Fenn
To her vehement attempt to draw her mother's attention she got no response; the Painted Lady was hearkening intently for some sound other than Grizel's voice, and only once did she look at her child.
From Sentimental Tommy The Story of His Boyhood by J. M. (James Matthew) Barrie
