Meanings
plural hearers
- One who hears.
Defaultism The defaultist view is that some conversational implicatures are default inferences—presumptive meanings—that the hearer makes unless given reason not to by the speaker.
2019, Shalom Lappin, Chris Fox, The Handbook of Contemporary Semantic Theory, page 185 - A person who regularly attends sermons; a devout listener.
Whilst Mr. Taale was priest in Osteröe, it happened that one of his hearers was carried away and returned again.
1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 258
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishheerar
- Englishhearer
From Middle English heerar, herere, hyerere, equivalent to hear + -er.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Spanish oyente, oidor
- oyenteTranslations
- oidorTranslations
Swedish hörare
- hörareTranslations
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with hearer
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
hearer. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hearer
“hearer.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hearer. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hearer,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hearer.
Source: hearer on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.