hearken

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to listen attentively or give serious heed, especially in literary or archaic use

   The council refused to hearken to repeated warnings from the villagers.

From Middle English herkenen, from Old English heorcnian or hercnian ("to listen"). It is closely related to hark; the later spelling was influenced by hear. The word survives chiefly in literary language and in the construction hearken to.

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