Listening
/ˈlɪsənɪŋ/Definition, CEFR level A2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounThe activity of paying attention to and understanding sounds or speech.
Extra definitions
nounThe act of paying attention to sound.
nounThe skill of understanding spoken language.
nounAn activity involving careful hearing.
Sentence Examples
Listening carefully prevents mistakes.
The course includes listening practice.
Active listening improves communication.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
None
Antonyms:
None
Word Origin & History
From Middle English listnynge, lustninde, from Old English hlysnende, equivalent to listen + -ing.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
“The safest cover lay close under the wall of the cañon, and here through the dense thickets Venters made his slow, listening advance toward the oval.”
— 1912 January, Zane Grey, chapter 5, in Riders of the Purple Sage […], New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, →OCLC:
“It was a joy to snatch some brief respite, and find himself in the rectory drawing–room. Listening here was as pleasant as talking; just to watch was pleasant. The young priests who lived here wore cassocks and birettas; their faces were fine and mild, yet really strong, like the rector's face; and in their intercourse with him and his wife they seemed to be brothers.”
— 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter X, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
Explore More A2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
____ carefully prevents mistakes.