Question 1 · Quick check
listen
CEFRA1
/ˈlɪsən/
verb
Türkçe translations
Translating…
In plain English
- 01
verb
To pay attention to a sound or what someone says.
- 02
verb
Extra detailAn instance of listening.
Examples
Don't listen to him, he's talking nonsense.
If you don't listen to us, we will have to resort to coercion.
At a glance
Sits at A1 on the CEFR scale
- Senses
- 4
- Parts of speech
- 1
- Citations
- 5
- Synonyms
- 5
Also pronounced
- [ˈlɪsən] ~ [ˈlɪsn̩]
Deep Dive
verb
Extra meaningsTo accept advice or obey instruction; to agree or assent.
To 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.
More examples
In contextListen! What's that noise? Can you hear it?
(transitive, archaic) Listen the watchman’s cry upon the wall.
I could hear you talking upstairs, but I didn’t really listen to your conversation.
Related
Quick test
Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.
Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.
Nearby
Origin
verb
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 श्लोक्...