behear C2+ Topic:Senses & Perception US /bɪˈhɪr/ UK /bɪˈhɪə/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 verb to hear or listen to (archaic) Behear my plea, good sir, before you pass judgment. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 verb · to hear or listen to (archaic) hearlistenheedhearken Word family Related forms hear Etymology AI details From the intensive prefix be- + hear. Hear is from Old English hīeran ('to hear, listen'), from Proto-Germanic *hauzijaną. be- Old English hīeran Old English View etymology graph -> Topics Senses & Perception Word Formation & Derivatives Register & Style External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # behear **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** verb **IPA (US):** /bɪˈhɪr/ **IPA (UK):** /bɪˈhɪə/ ## Meanings 1. to hear or listen to (archaic) ## Examples - Behear my plea, good sir, before you pass judgment. ## Synonyms - hear - listen - heed - hearken ## Related Forms - hear ## Roots and Affixes - Root: be- - Root: hīeran ## Etymology From the intensive prefix be- + hear. Hear is from Old English hīeran ('to hear, listen'), from Proto-Germanic *hauzijaną. ## AI Etymology Behear is a verb meaning "to hear or listen to (archaic)". Historically, it is from the intensive prefix be- + hear. Hear is from Old English hīeran ('to hear, listen'), from Proto-Germanic *hauzijaną. The visible construction is part of the etymology: behear is not just an unanalyzed simple word. The historical chain links Old English be- with Old English hīeran. A close English family member is hear. This keeps the modern verb sense tied to the older forms and language sequence behind it. ## Topics - Senses & Perception - Word Formation & Derivatives - Register & Style markdown