Meanings
-
1
verb
To pay attention to a sound with your ears.
Please listen carefully as I explain.
-
2
verb
To take notice of advice or do what someone says.
He never listens to his parents.
-
3
noun
An act of listening to something.
Give the song a listen and tell me what you think.
Thesaurus
Common collocations
Etymology
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 e…