Definitions for Listen
ˈlɪs ənLis·ten

Princeton's WordNet(1.25 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. listenverb

   hear with intention

   "Listen to the sound of this cello"

2. listen, hear, take heedverb

   listen and pay attention

   "Listen to your father"; "We must hear the expert before we make a decision"

3. heed, mind, listenverb

   pay close attention to; give heed to

   "Heed the advice of the old men"

Wiktionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. listenverb

   To pay attention to a sound, to note.

   Etymology: From listnen, from hlysnan, from *hlusinon (compare lüstern, luisteren and lauschen), from ḱlew-. Akin to rochluiniur 'I hear', clueo, κλαίω, κλέος, լամ, degjoj, from ant. glôj, glûej, слути, слѹшати, klausau 'to hear', Middle Persian , श्रु. More at loud.

2. listenverb

   To wait for a sound, such as a signal.

   You should listen for the starting gun.

   Etymology: From listnen, from hlysnan, from *hlusinon (compare lüstern, luisteren and lauschen), from ḱlew-. Akin to rochluiniur 'I hear', clueo, κλαίω, κλέος, լամ, degjoj, from ant. glôj, glûej, слути, слѹшати, klausau 'to hear', Middle Persian , श्रु. More at loud.

3. listenverb

   To accept or obey oral instruction.

   Good children listen to their parents.

   Etymology: From listnen, from hlysnan, from *hlusinon (compare lüstern, luisteren and lauschen), from ḱlew-. Akin to rochluiniur 'I hear', clueo, κλαίω, κλέος, լամ, degjoj, from ant. glôj, glûej, слути, слѹшати, klausau 'to hear', Middle Persian , श्रु. More at loud.

4. listenverb

   To hear (something or someone), to pay attention to.

   Etymology: From listnen, from hlysnan, from *hlusinon (compare lüstern, luisteren and lauschen), from ḱlew-. Akin to rochluiniur 'I hear', clueo, κλαίω, κλέος, լամ, degjoj, from ant. glôj, glûej, слути, слѹшати, klausau 'to hear', Middle Persian , श्रु. More at loud.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Listenverb

   to give close attention with the purpose of hearing; to give ear; to hearken; to attend

2. Listenverb

   to give heed; to yield to advice; to follow admonition; to obey

3. Listenverb

   to attend to

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Listen

   Listen is the third album by R&B singer TQ. It was released on August 31, 2004 in the United States and October 17, 2005 in the United Kingdom.

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. listen

   To focus and hear what a person is saying or communicating.

   They did listen to each other respectfully.

   Submitted by MaryC on January 16, 2020  

2. listen

   To give attention, hear and remember what a person is saying.

   They did listen to each other respectfully.

   Submitted by MaryC on January 16, 2020  

Matched Categories

1. • Obey
   • Perceive

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Listen' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #2214

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Listen' in Written Corpus Frequency: #670

3. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Listen' in Verbs Frequency: #191

Anagrams for Listen »

1. enlist, inlets, leints, silent, tinsel

2. Enlist

3. Inlets

4. Leints

5. Silent

6. Tinsel

How to pronounce Listen?

1. Alex

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

How to say Listen in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Listen in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Listen in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of Listen in a Sentence

1. Marco Rubio:

   I just like it because the lyrics are clean, so I can listen to it in front of my kids and not worry about it.

2. Natascha Engel:

   We are choosing to listen to a powerful environmental lobby campaigning against fracking rather than allowing science and evidence to guide our policy making. By staying silent, we are in danger of pandering to what we know to be myths and scare stories.

3. Emeasoba George:

   God can rewrite your story. Yes of course, in case you don't know. God can rewrite your story from being miserable to being enviable and from the worst to the best. As a matter of fact, he (God) rewrote the story of Jabez. And that's why, he changed his name and enlarged his coast too, scripture reference (1st Chronicle 4 : 10). Moreover, he (God) equally rewrote the story of Joseph. Now, that's why he made him (Joseph) a prime minister/general overseer in a foreign country (Egypt) to be specific, scripture reference Genesis 41 : 41-45. As well, he (God) rewrote the story of Esther. And that's why, Esther surprisingly became a queen in a foreign nation (Babylon) to be precise, scripture reference Esther 2 : 17. Besides, God rewrote the story of David. And that's why, he (God) transformed him (David) from being a shepherd to being the most celebrated king of Israel, scripture reference 1st Samuel 16 : 1 -13. Now, the above instances truly signifies that, God can surely and ­­effortlessly rewrite your story no matter how miserable and terrible your past life or current condition seems to you. Listen up, all you've got to do is this, just believe undoubtedly that he (God) can rewrite your story. Then, equally trust and wait patiently on him to do it in his own time and not at all, in your own time.

4. Akram Al Deek:

   One of the reasons for which you ultimately became a teacher, however, is the way by which you were taught. You came to realise that teaching is a political act at the heart of which lies political change. You became a teacher to rectify things. Because you had a great responsibility towards the future. As a teenager, you attended an average boys’ public school in a suburban area of a small city in the northeast of Jordan. It was a school where English was not obligatory until the sixth grade. A school where you were taught to stand up for your superiors as they walked into class, and where any eye-contact was frowned upon. A school where you were inspected for your haircut, nails, and shoes but not your concerns. A school where it mattered more where you are from than who you are. A school where the science teacher taught geography, sports, and Islamic religion, too. A school where you were grabbed by the ears and pulled up, hit repeatedly on the knuckles and slapped on the face for not remembering the capital of Cambodia. And for that you never forgot the capital of Cambodia. A school where philosophy was marginalised by religion. And where you had to wait in queues to urinate because toilets were busy with concealed homosexual activities. A school where during winter you had to wear layers and layers of wool and cotton because there was no central heating, double-glazed windows, or even curtains. A school where the drawing studio was used as a canteen by teachers during lunch-time only. A school where there was no awareness of the disconnection between the teaching curriculum and societal needs. A school where the story always goes with Mr Ali in the office, while Mrs Ali is always in the kitchen. A school where most teachers finished classes 15 to 20 minutes earlier so that they could exploit parents and students in highly expensive private classes outside the school. A school where all music classes were spent teaching you how to play the national anthem. A school where it was always easier to deny and reject than debate and accept. A school where the quiet boy was always neglected. A school where you were always asked what to do, but never did anyone ever do what you asked: to listen. A school where your colleagues were scolded for being overtaken in class by a Palestinian student.

5. Nancy Pelosi:

   The White House's vague and inconsistent document does nothing to make up for the President's failure to listen to the scientists and produce and distribute national rapid testing.

Images & Illustrations of Listen

Popularity rank by frequency of use