Definitions for listen
ˈlɪs ənlis·ten

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

1. listen(verb)

   hear with intention

   "Listen to the sound of this cello"

2. listen, hear, take heed(verb)

   listen and pay attention

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

3. heed, mind, listen(verb)

   pay close attention to; give heed to

   "Heed the advice of the old men"

Wiktionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. listen(Verb)

   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. listen(Verb)

   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. listen(Verb)

   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. listen(Verb)

   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. Listen(verb)

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

2. Listen(verb)

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

3. Listen(verb)

   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  

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. Jeremy Chan:

   They believe they are fighting for democracy, fighting for Hong Kong, but the rioters only listen to what they want to hear, freedom of speech is lost.

2. New Hampshire strategist Dave Carney:

   He has abilities as a retail politician to listen and be sincere and authentic.

3. Joe Biden:

   Listen to the experts, do what they tell you. He may not like how he looks in a mask, but the truth of the matter is that – follow the science, that's what they're telling us.

4. Donald Trump:

   The deal she is striking is a much different deal than the one the people voted on, i actually told Theresa May how to do it but Theresa May didn't agree, Theresa May didn't listen to me. Theresa May wanted to go a different route. I would actually say that Theresa May probably went the opposite way.

5. The Iowa teen:

   I just hope everybody's responsible, because it's nothing to joke about, i want everybody to make sure they're following social distancing guidelines and the group limits. And just listen to all the rules and precautions and stay up to date with the news and make sure they're informed.

Images & Illustrations of listen

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