listen

Meaning

Verb

1. To use one's sense of hearing and auditory cognition in an intentional way; to make deliberate use of one's ears; to pay attention to or wait for a specific sound.
2. (intransitive) To accept advice or obey instruction; to agree or assent.

Noun

An instance of listening.

Opposite of

ignore, disregard

Synonyms

hear

listen to

obey

pay attention

heed

hark

give ear

mind

hearken

tune in

attend

sense

listen in

eavesdrop

harken

smell

👃

hey

👋

attentive

listen carefully

behold

understand

hearken to

take heed

be attentive

list

overhear

pay attention to

feel

notice

look out

give ear to

enquire

bet

don’t talk

discover

believe in

ask

discern

detect

believe

descry

listen attentively

credit

appertain

advert

keep quiet

infer

comply

commit

auscultate

Translations

écouter

escuchar

ascoltare

zuhören

luisteren

escutar

hören

dinlemek

escoltar

lauschen

ακούω

sentire

horchen

escotar

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈlɪs.ən/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: listenen

Cognate with Middle English: listen

Inherited from Old English: hlysnan

Cognate with Middle High German: lüsenen

Cognate with Old High German: hlosēn

Cognate with Ancient Greek: κλαίω

Cognate with Welsh: clywed

Cognate with Latin: clueō

Cognate with Lithuanian: klausýti

Cognate with Church Slavic: слушати

Cognate with Sanskrit: श्रोषति

Cognate with German: lauschen

In summary

From Middle English listenen, listnen, alteration (due to Middle English listen (“to listen, give heed to”)) of Old English hlysnan (“to listen”), from Proto-Germanic *hlusnijaną, *hlusnōną (compare Middle High German lüsenen), from Proto-Germanic *hlusēną (compare Old High German hlosēn), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlew- (“to hear”).
Cognate with Swedish lyssna (“to listen”).
Compare Ancient Greek κλαίω (klaíō, “I make known, famous”), Welsh clywed (“to hear”), Latin clueō (“I am famous”), Lithuanian klausýti, Old Church Slavonic слушати (slušati, “to hear”), Sanskrit श्रोषति (śróṣati, “an exclamation used in making an offering with fire to the gods or departed spirits”) & Sanskrit श्लोक्य (ślókya, “voice, sound, noisy”)).
Related to loud and German lauschen.

Sentences

The boy continued to listen to his heart as they crossed the desert .