Meanings
verblisten (third-person singular simple present listens, present participle listening, simple past and past participle listened)
present singular third person listens · participle present listening · participle past listened · past listened · alternative obsolete lisen · alternative pronunciation spelling rare lis'en · alternative pronunciation spelling rare lissen
- intransitive except in archaic usageTo 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.
Please listen carefully as I explain.
5 more examples
I could hear you talking upstairs, but I didn’t really listen to your conversation.
It was April 22, 1831, and a young man was walking down Whitehall in the direction of Parliament Street.[…]. He halted opposite the Privy Gardens, and, with his face turned skywards, listened until the sound of the Tower guns smote again on the ear and dispelled his doubts.
1906, Stanley J[ohn] Weyman, chapter I, in Chippinge Borough, New York, N.Y.: McClure, Phillips & Co., →OCLC, page 01He reined Wrangle to a walk, halted now and then to listen, and then proceeded cautiously with shifting and alert gaze.
1912 January, Zane Grey, chapter 4, in Riders of the Purple Sage […], New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, →OCLCHe read the letter aloud. Sophia listened with the studied air of one for whom, even in these days, a title possessed some surreptitious allurement.
1921, Ben Travers, chapter 1, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC(transitive, archaic) Listen the watchman’s cry upon the wall.
Synonyms: heed, mind, note, pay attention, attend · Antonyms: ignore
- intransitiveTo accept advice or obey instruction; to agree or assent.
Good children listen to their parents.
2 more examples
Listen, the only reason I yelled at you was because I was upset, OK?
Never listen when they tell you that Man and the animals have a common interest[…].
1943 November – 1944 February (date written; published 1945 August 17), George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], Animal Farm […], London: Secker & Warburg, published May 1962, →OCLC
nounlisten (plural listens)
plural listens · alternative obsolete lisen · alternative pronunciation spelling rare lis'en · alternative pronunciation spelling rare lissen
- An instance of listening.
Give the motor a listen and tell me if it sounds off.
2 more examples
The diss song, “Back to Back,” now has more than 124 million listens, a sign that the streaming can attract a sizable audience for a single track.
2016 March 29, Victor Luckerson, “There's a New Way To Listen To All the Remixes You Want”, in Time, archived from the original on 25 Jun 2021I hadn't spoken to her in a year, but she could still see my listens on the music platform we both used.
2020, Emily Segal, Mercury Retrograde, New York: Deluge Books, →ISBNSynonyms: play
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo 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.
Opposite
nounAn instance of listening.
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More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱel-
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱlew-
- Proto-Germanic*hlusnijaną
- Old Englishhlysnan
- Middle Englishlistenen
- Englishlisten
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, “to make known, famous”), Welsh clywed (“to hear”), Latin clueō (“to be 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.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans luister, luister
- luisterto pay attention to a sound
- luisterto expect or wait for a sound
- hoorto hear (something)
- luisterto accept advice or obey instruction
Ancient Greek ἀκροάομαι, ἀκούω
- ἀκροάομαι (akroáomai)to pay attention to a sound
- ἀκούω (akoúō)to pay attention to a sound
- ἀκούω (akoúō)to hear (something)
- ἀκούω (akoúō)to accept advice or obey instruction
- εἰσακούω (eisakoúō)to accept advice or obey instruction
Arabic أَصْغَى, أَنْصَتَ
- أَصْغَى (ʔaṣḡā)to pay attention to a sound
- أَنْصَتَ (ʔanṣata)to pay attention to a sound
- اِسْتَمَعَ (istamaʕa)to pay attention to a sound
- سَمِعَ (samiʕa)to pay attention to a sound
- سمع (simiʕ)to pay attention to a sound
- سمع (smaʕ)to pay attention to a sound
- سمع (simiʕ)to pay attention to a sound
- أَنْصَتَ (ʔanṣata)to expect or wait for a sound
- سَمِعَ (samiʕa)to hear (something)
- سمع (semeʕ)to hear (something)
- أَطَاعَ (ʔaṭāʕa)to accept advice or obey instruction
Basque entzun, aditu
- entzunto pay attention to a sound
- adituto pay attention to a sound
- entzunto expect or wait for a sound
- entzunto hear (something)
- adituto hear (something)
- adituto accept advice or obey instruction
- kasu eginto accept advice or obey instruction
- jaramon eginto accept advice or obey instruction
Bengali শোনা
- শোনা (śōna)to pay attention to a sound
Bulgarian слу́шам, ослу́швам се
- слу́шам (slúšam)to pay attention to a sound
- ослу́швам се (oslúšvam se)to expect or wait for a sound
- вслу́швам се (vslúšvam se)to expect or wait for a sound
- чу́вам (čúvam)to hear (something)
- слу́шам (slúšam)to hear (something)
- отстъ́пвам (otstắpvam)to accept advice or obey instruction
Catalan escoltar, escoltar
- escoltarto pay attention to a sound
- escoltarto expect or wait for a sound
- escoltarto accept advice or obey instruction
Chinese тин, 聽 /听
- тин (tin)to pay attention to a sound
- 聽 /听 (thiaⁿ)to pay attention to a sound
Chinese Cantonese 聽 /听
- 聽 /听 (teng¹, ting¹)to pay attention to a sound
Chinese Mandarin 聽 /听, 聽 /听
- 聽 /听 (tīng)to pay attention to a sound
- 聽 /听 (tīng)to hear (something)
Czech poslouchat, poslechnout
- poslouchatto pay attention to a sound
- poslechnoutto pay attention to a sound
- naslouchatto expect or wait for a sound
- slyšetto hear (something)
- poslouchatto accept advice or obey instruction
Danish lytte, lytte
- lytteto pay attention to a sound
- lytteto expect or wait for a sound
- høre efterto expect or wait for a sound
- høre efterto accept advice or obey instruction
Dutch luisteren, luisteren
- luisterento pay attention to a sound
- luisterento expect or wait for a sound
- oplettento expect or wait for a sound
- horento hear (something)
- gehoorzamento accept advice or obey instruction
- luisterento accept advice or obey instruction
Esperanto aŭskulti, aŭskulti
- aŭskultito pay attention to a sound
- aŭskultito hear (something)
Estonian kuulama, tähele panema
- kuulamato pay attention to a sound
- tähele panemato pay attention to a sound
- kuulamato expect or wait for a sound
- kuulatamato expect or wait for a sound
- kuulmato hear (something)
- kuulamato accept advice or obey instruction
Finnish kuunnella, kuunnella
- kuunnellato pay attention to a sound
- kuunnellato expect or wait for a sound
- kuullato hear (something)
- kuunnellato accept advice or obey instruction
- uskoato accept advice or obey instruction
French écouter, tendre l'oreille
- écouterto pay attention to a sound
- tendre l'oreilleto expect or wait for a sound
- guetterto expect or wait for a sound
- écouterto hear (something)
- écouterto accept advice or obey instruction
German hören, zuhören
- hörento pay attention to a sound
- zuhörento pay attention to a sound
- zueloseto pay attention to a sound
- lauschento expect or wait for a sound
- hörento hear (something)
- hörento accept advice or obey instruction
Greek ακούω, ακούω
- ακούω (akoúo)to pay attention to a sound
- ακούω (akoúo)to hear (something)
- ακούω (akoúo)to accept advice or obey instruction
Hawaiian hoʻolohe, lohe
- hoʻoloheto pay attention to a sound
- loheto hear (something)
- loheto accept advice or obey instruction
Hebrew הִקְשִׁיב, הֶאֱזִין
- הִקְשִׁיב (hikshív)to pay attention to a sound
- הֶאֱזִין (he'ezín)to pay attention to a sound
- שמע (shama)to hear (something)
- הקשיב (hikshív)to accept advice or obey instruction
- האזין (he'ezín)to accept advice or obey instruction
Hindi सुनना, सुनना
- सुनना (sunnā)to pay attention to a sound
- सुनना (sunnā)to expect or wait for a sound
- सुनना (sunnā)to hear (something)
- कान लगाना (kān lagānā)to hear (something)
- सुनना (sunnā)to accept advice or obey instruction
Hungarian hallgat, figyel
- hallgatto pay attention to a sound
- figyelto pay attention to a sound
- hallgatto hear (something)
- hallgatto accept advice or obey instruction
Icelandic hlusta (á), hlusta (eftir)
- hlusta (á)to pay attention to a sound
- hlusta (eftir)to expect or wait for a sound
- hlustato hear (something)
- heyrato hear (something)
- hlusta (á)to accept advice or obey instruction
Indonesian dengarkan, mendengarkan
- dengarkanto pay attention to a sound
- mendengarkanto accept advice or obey instruction
Iranian Persian گوش دادَن, گوش کَرْدَن
- گوش دادَن (guš dâdan)to pay attention to a sound
- گوش کَرْدَن (guš kardan)to pay attention to a sound
- اِسْتِماع کَرْدَن (estemâ' kardan)to pay attention to a sound
- نِیوشیدَن (niyušidan)to pay attention to a sound
- گوشیدَن (gušidan)to pay attention to a sound
Irish éist, éist
- éistto pay attention to a sound
- éistto hear (something)
Italian ascoltare, stare in ascolto per
- ascoltareto pay attention to a sound
- stare in ascolto perto expect or wait for a sound
- sentireto expect or wait for a sound
- sentireto hear (something)
- dare ascoltoto accept advice or obey instruction
- dar rettato accept advice or obey instruction
Japanese 聞く, 聞く
- 聞く (kiku)to pay attention to a sound
- 聞く (kiku)to expect or wait for a sound
- 聞く (kiku)to hear (something)
- 聞く (kiku)to accept advice or obey instruction
Korean 듣다, 듣다
- 듣다 (deutda)to pay attention to a sound
- 듣다 (deutda)to expect or wait for a sound
- 들리다 (deullida)to hear (something)
- 듣다 (deutda)to accept advice or obey instruction
- 들어주다 (deureojuda)to accept advice or obey instruction
Latin auscultō, audiō
- auscultōto pay attention to a sound
- audiōto pay attention to a sound
- exaudioto pay attention to a sound
- auscultoto expect or wait for a sound
- exaudioto expect or wait for a sound
- exaudiōto hear (something)
- audioto hear (something)
- auscultoto hear (something)
- auscultōto accept advice or obey instruction
- audiōto accept advice or obey instruction
Latvian klausīties, klausīties
- klausītiesto pay attention to a sound
- klausītiesto expect or wait for a sound
- dzirdētto hear (something)
- klausītto accept advice or obey instruction
Lithuanian klausyti, klausyti
- klausytito pay attention to a sound
- klausytito expect or wait for a sound
- girdėtito hear (something)
- klausytito accept advice or obey instruction
Malay dengar, pasang telinga
- dengarto pay attention to a sound
- pasang telingato expect or wait for a sound
- dengarto hear (something)
- dengarto accept advice or obey instruction
Māori whakaoko, whakarongo
- whakaokoto pay attention to a sound
- whakarongoto pay attention to a sound
- whakataringato pay attention to a sound
Norwegian Bokmål lytte, lytte
- lytteto pay attention to a sound
- lytteto expect or wait for a sound
- høreto hear (something)
- lystreto accept advice or obey instruction
Persian شِنیدَن, شُنیدَن
- شِنیدَن (šenidan)to hear (something)
- شُنیدَن (šonidan)to hear (something)
Polish słuchać, nasłuchiwać
- słuchaćto pay attention to a sound
- nasłuchiwaćto expect or wait for a sound
- wysłuchaćto hear (something)
- słuchaćto hear (something)
- usłuchaćto accept advice or obey instruction
- słuchaćto accept advice or obey instruction
Portuguese escutar, escutar
- escutarto pay attention to a sound
- escutarto expect or wait for a sound
- escutarto hear (something)
- ouvirto hear (something)
- ouvirto accept advice or obey instruction
Romanian asculta, asculta
- ascultato pay attention to a sound
- ascultato expect or wait for a sound
- ascultato hear (something)
- ascultato accept advice or obey instruction
Russian слу́шать, послу́шать
- слу́шать (slúšatʹ)to pay attention to a sound
- послу́шать (poslúšatʹ)to pay attention to a sound
- слу́шать (slúšatʹ)to expect or wait for a sound
- слы́шать (slýšatʹ)to hear (something)
- услы́шать (uslýšatʹ)to hear (something)
- слу́шать (slúšatʹ)to accept advice or obey instruction
- слу́шаться (slúšatʹsja)to accept advice or obey instruction
Scottish Gaelic èisd, èist
- èisdto pay attention to a sound
- èistto pay attention to a sound
- èisdto expect or wait for a sound
- cluinnto hear (something)
Slovak počúvať, poslúchnuť
- počúvaťto pay attention to a sound
- poslúchnuťto pay attention to a sound
- načúvaťto expect or wait for a sound
- počuťto hear (something)
- slyšaťto hear (something)
- poslúchaťto accept advice or obey instruction
Spanish escuchar, escuchar
- escucharto pay attention to a sound
- escucharto expect or wait for a sound
- oírto hear (something)
- escucharto accept advice or obey instruction
- atenerseto accept advice or obey instruction
Swahili kusikiza, kusikiliza
- kusikizato pay attention to a sound
- kusikilizato pay attention to a sound
- sikizato expect or wait for a sound
- sikizato hear (something)
- sikizato accept advice or obey instruction
Swedish lyssna, lyssna
- lyssnato pay attention to a sound
- lyssnato expect or wait for a sound
- lyssnato hear (something)
- lydato accept advice or obey instruction
Tagalog dinig (dinggin), kinig (pakinggan)
- dinig (dinggin)to pay attention to a sound
- kinig (pakinggan)to pay attention to a sound
- makinigto pay attention to a sound
- dinig (dinggin)to expect or wait for a sound
- kinig (pakinggan)to expect or wait for a sound
- dinig (dinggin)to hear (something)
- rinig (narinig)to hear (something)
- dinig (dinggin)to accept advice or obey instruction
- kinig (pakinggan, makinig)to accept advice or obey instruction
Tamil கேள், மெதுவா கேள்
- கேள் (kēḷ)to pay attention to a sound
- மெதுவா கேள் (metuvā kēḷ)to expect or wait for a sound
- கேள் (kēḷ)to hear (something)
- கேள் (kēḷ)to accept advice or obey instruction
Thai ฟัง, ฟัง
- ฟัง (fang)to pay attention to a sound
- ฟัง (fang)to expect or wait for a sound
- ยิน (yin)to hear (something)
- ฟัง (fang)to accept advice or obey instruction
Turkish dinlemek, dinlemek
- dinlemekto pay attention to a sound
- dinlemekto expect or wait for a sound
- duymakto hear (something)
- dinlemekto accept advice or obey instruction
Ukrainian слу́хати, слу́хати
- слу́хати (slúxaty)to pay attention to a sound
- слу́хати (slúxaty)to expect or wait for a sound
- чу́ти (čúty)to hear (something)
- слу́хати (slúxaty)to accept advice or obey instruction
- послу́хати (poslúxaty)to accept advice or obey instruction
- слу́хатися impf reflexive (slúxatysja)to accept advice or obey instruction
- послу́хатися (poslúxatysja)to accept advice or obey instruction
Urdu سُنْنا, سُنْنا
- سُنْنا (sunnā)to pay attention to a sound
- سُنْنا (sunnā)to expect or wait for a sound
- سُنْنا (sunnā)to hear (something)
- کان لَگانا (kān lagānā)to hear (something)
- سُنْنا (sunnā)to accept advice or obey instruction
Vietnamese nghe, lắng nghe
- ngheto pay attention to a sound
- lắng ngheto pay attention to a sound
- chờ đợito expect or wait for a sound
- chờto expect or wait for a sound
- đợi choto expect or wait for a sound
- ngheto hear (something)
- để ý đếnto hear (something)
- nghe theoto accept advice or obey instruction
- tuân theoto accept advice or obey instruction
- vâng lờito accept advice or obey instruction
Welsh gwrando
- gwrandoto pay attention to a sound
Yiddish הערן, צוהערן
- הערן (hern)to pay attention to a sound
- צוהערן (tsuhern)to pay attention to a sound
- הערן (hern)to expect or wait for a sound
Zulu lalela
- lalelato pay attention to a sound
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with listen
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
listen. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/listen
MLA
“listen.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/listen. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “listen,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/listen.
Source: listen on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.