listen

verb
UK: /ˈlɪsn/
US: /ˈlɪsən/

  1. To pay attention to someone or something in order to hear them.

    1. Please listen to me, I have something to say. [ ] [ ]
    2. I always listen carefully when the teacher explains something new. [ ] [ ]

  2. To take notice of advice or a warning.

    1. You should listen to your doctor. [ ] [ ]
    2. He didn't listen to the warnings, and now he's in trouble. [ ] [ ]

  3. To wait and be ready to hear something.

    1. Listen! I think I hear a bird. [ ] [ ]
    2. Listen closely; the announcement will give you important information. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

regard hear attend obey note heed
listen noun

  1. An act of listening or paying attention.

    1. Give it a listen; you might like it. [ ] [ ]
    2. The speaker requested our careful listen to understand his complex ideas. [ ] [ ]
listen interjection

  1. Used to get someone's attention before you tell them something.

    1. Listen, I need to talk to you now. [ ] [ ]
    2. Listen, there's something important that you must know about the situation. [ ] [ ]
listen phrasal-verb

  1. Pay attention to something (often advice or a warning).

    1. Listen up, class, I have announcements. [ ] [ ]
    2. Listen up; this is very important if you want to get on the team [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "listen" in English means: To pay attention to someone or something in order to hear them., To take notice of advice or a warning., To wait and be ready to hear something..

The phonetic transcription of "listen" is /ˈlɪsn/ in British English and /ˈlɪsən/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "listen": regard, hear, attend, obey, note, heed.

Example usage of "listen": "Please listen to me, I have something to say.". More examples on the page.