listen in

verb

To listen without participating.

“Did you listen in to the concert last night?”

Similar
listensit ineavesdropoverhear
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Meanings

verblisten in (third-person singular simple present listens in, present participle listening in, simple past and past participle listened in)

present singular third person listens in · participle present listening in · participle past listened in · past listened in

  1. To listen without participating.

    We invite you to listen in to our radio broadcast.

    1 more example

    Do you mind if I listen in on your meeting tomorrow?

    Synonyms: listen, sit in

  2. To eavesdrop; to listen secretly.

    You should close the door for conversations like that. You never know who might be listening in.

    Synonyms: eavesdrop, overhear

  3. datedTo listen to a radio broadcast.

    Did you listen in to the concert last night?

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo listen without participating.

Similar
listensit in

verbTo eavesdrop; to listen secretly.

Similar
eavesdropoverhear

More synonyms by meaning

verblisten without the speaker's knowledge

Similar
eavesdrop
Broader
listen
Also see
eavesdrop

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Chinese Cantonese 收聽 /收听
  • 收聽 /收听 (sau¹ teng¹)to listen without participating
Chinese Mandarin 收聽 /收听
  • 收聽 /收听 (shōutīng)to listen without participating
Czech odposlouchávat
  • odposlouchávatto listen secretly
Dutch meeluisteren, luistervinken
  • meeluisterento listen without participating
  • luistervinkento listen secretly
  • afluisterento listen secretly
Finnish kuunnella, salakuunnella
  • kuunnellato listen without participating
  • salakuunnellato listen secretly
German zuhören
  • zuhörento listen secretly
Hungarian hallgatózik
  • hallgatózikto listen secretly
Italian origliare, origliare
  • origliareto listen without participating
  • origliareto listen secretly
Polish podsłuchiwać
  • podsłuchiwaćto listen secretly
Turkish bağlanmak
  • bağlanmakto listen without participating
Cite this entry
APA

listen in. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/listen%20in

MLA

“listen in.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/listen%20in. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “listen in,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/listen%20in.

Source: listen in on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.