bend someone's ear

verb

To bore; to talk too long, especially to one particular person.

“Sorry to bend your ear with the whole story, but I think you ought to know.”

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Meanings

verbbend someone's ear (third-person singular simple present bends someone's ear, present participle bending someone's ear, simple past and past participle bent someone's ear)

present singular third person bends someone's ear · participle present bending someone's ear · participle past bent someone's ear · past bent someone's ear

  1. idiomaticTo bore; to talk too long, especially to one particular person.

    Sorry to bend your ear with the whole story, but I think you ought to know.

  2. idiomaticTo call someone's attention to an important matter.

    I managed to bend his ear about the current crisis. I hope he will act now.

  3. reflexiveTo put a hand behind one's ear and cup it around so as to hear better.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
tire

Translations

Dutch iemand de oren van het hoofd kletsen
  • iemand de oren van het hoofd kletsentalk too long
Finnish pitkästyttää korvia
  • pitkästyttää korviatalk too long
French rebattre les oreilles
  • rebattre les oreillestalk too long
German jemandem ein Ohr abkauen, zutexten
  • jemandem ein Ohr abkauentalk too long
  • zutextentalk too long
Polish zanudzać
  • zanudzaćtalk too long
Russian все у́ши прожужжа́ть
  • все у́ши прожужжа́ть (vse úši prožužžátʹ)talk too long
Cite this entry
APA

bend someone's ear. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bend%20someone's%20ear

MLA

“bend someone's ear.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bend%20someone's%20ear. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bend someone's ear,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bend%20someone's%20ear.

Source: bend someone's ear on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.