From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhearhear /hɪə $ hɪr/ ●●● S1 W1 verb (past tense and past participle heard /hɜːd $ hɜːrd/) 1 hear sounds/words etc [intransitive, transitive]HEAR to know that a sound is being made, using your ears She heard a sudden loud crash. Did anyone see or hear anything last night?can hear I could hear the sound of traffic. hear somebody/something doing something Jenny could hear them arguing outside.hear somebody do something She heard Tom go upstairs.hear what/who etc I couldn’t hear what they were saying most of the time.be heard to do something She didn’t want to be heard to criticize him.somebody doesn’t hear too well/very well (=they have problems with their hearing) Old Zeke doesn’t hear too well anymore.2 listen to somebody/something [transitive]LISTEN to listen to what someone is saying, the music they are playing etc Maggie did not wait to hear an answer. Did you hear that programme on whales the other night?hear what I want to hear what the doctor has to say.I hear what you say/what you’re saying spoken (=used to tell someone that you have listened to their opinion, but do not agree with it) I hear what you say, but I don’t think we should rush this decision.3 be told something [intransitive, transitive]FIND OUT to be told or find out a piece of information I heard a rumor that he was getting married soon.hear (that) I’m so sorry to hear he died. She’ll be pleased to hear that she can leave hospital tomorrow.hear about Teresa heard about the decision later.hear of I’ve heard of a job which would be just right for you. This was the first I’d heard of any trouble in the area (=I had just heard news of trouble for the first time). He was last heard of in Washington (=he was in Washington the last time someone had information about him).hear anything/much of somebody/something We don’t hear anything of him these days.so I hear/so I’ve heard spoken (=used to say that you have been told something or know it already) There’s a nasty infection going round, so I hear.hear what/how/who etc Did you hear what happened to Julia? I’ve heard it said that they met in Italy.4 in court [transitive]SCTJUDGE to listen to all the facts in a case in a court of law in order to make a legal decision The Supreme Court heard the case on Tuesday.5 → have heard of somebody/something6 → not hear the last of somebody7 → you could hear a pin dropSPOKEN PHRASES8 → won’t/wouldn’t hear of it9 → I/he etc will never hear the end of it10 → be hearing things11 → (do) you hear?12 → you can’t hear yourself think13 → now hear this!14 → hear! hear!15 → have you heard the one about ...16 → I’ve heard that one before17 → let’s hear it for somebodyGRAMMAR: Using the progressive• In meanings 1,2, and 3, hear is not usually used in the progressive. You say: I heard a strange sound. ✗Don’t say: I was hearing a strange sound.• Hear is often used with can: I could hear a strange sound.• In spoken English, people sometimes say I’m hearing to talk about something they have been told recently, especially more than once: I’ve been hearing some nice things about you.USAGE: Hear or listen?Don’t confuse hear (=a sound comes into your ears) with listen to (=hear and pay attention to something).You say: You should listen to my advice. ✗Don’t say: You should hear my advice.You say: I lay in bed listening to music. ✗Don’t say: I lay in bed hearing music. THESAURUShear to know that a sound is being made, using your earsThere’s no need to shout – I can hear you!Voices could be heard in the distance.listen to pay attention to something, using your earsI was listening to the news on the car radio. He never listens to anything I say.make out to hear something with difficultyWhen I got closer, I could make out a human voice.I could just make out what he was saying.overhear to accidentally hear another person’s conversationI overheard her say to her friend that she had lost something.catch to hear something that someone saysSorry, I didn’t catch your name.I caught the last few minutes of the programme.tune in to listen to a programme – often used in announcements on the radioTune in for all the latest news and views from around the world.Thousands of people tune in to the show every week. audible adjective loud enough to be heardHer words were clearly audible.an audible whisper → hear from somebody → hear somebody out→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
hear• "Nina's quit her job." "Yes, so I've heard."• She called after him but he kept on walking and pretended not to hear.• Conservative and radical scientific ideas were disseminated from Paris by naturalists and anatomists returning home inspired by what they had heard.• What would Maya like to hear?• I love to hear a baby laugh like that.• I heard a great new song on the radio.• Suddenly we heard a knock at the door.• I heard a rumor that Katya was coming back.• Sorry, Mary, but I couldn't hear a word you said.• It seems people want to write and hear about bad, negative things.• How did you hear about our company?• He and Richard must have heard about these things but in general they had failed to register.• Grandma doesn't hear as well as she used to.• He heard him speak to some one in the background.• We've heard such a lot about you from our daughter.• Did you hear that noise?• Neighbours heard the child screaming and called the police.• I heard the front door close, and knew that Bob had left for work.• I could have sworn I heard the phone ringing.• Did you hear them announce the result?• Occasional gunshots can still be heard, though no one seems to know who fires the guns and if anyone is hit.• I suppose you've heard what happened.• Jeff, did you hear what I said?• Didn't you hear when I called you?• I hear you're moving to Toronto.• When I hear you talk, Michael, I hear myself at your age.• Say that again -- I didn't hear you.be heard to do something• Fortunately there was order, even though a bomb was heard to drop quite near.• Women around the world were heard to heave a huge sigh of relief.• First one engine powered inflatable was heard to leave the shore in the direction of Guiding Lights.• Can it be by chance that mankind's sacred places are almost always spaces where echoed are heard to particularly good effect?• Here Sancho was heard to remark that he was the equal of a thousand men while Rodrigo was equal to another hundred.• Even some Party functionaries were heard to say that it would be better if Goebbels stopped writing and speaking altogether.hear what• So then Fiver went up and spoke to him very quietly, but I heard what Cowslip answered.• But now he was a Cold War hard-liner, and Joe wanted to hear what he had to say.• All one has to do is send him to the beginning of the track and hear what he has to say.• Listening means putting aside feelings and biases to really hear what is being said.• In addition you can hear what they say and how they say it.• Gabriel hurried up to try to hear what was said, but the door closed in her face.• We want to hear what you have to propose.heard it said• I'd heard it said: she's a lovely singer.• Colt had heard it said that after the war the country's debt was 80 billion dollars.• I've heard it said that animals love you unconditionally.• But I have heard it said that parts of the Rocky Mountains are quite like our Simla.• I have heard it said that they were built by Iron Age men in honour of Megan, a Celtic goddess.• I have heard it said that when bream break surface it is simply to obtain the extra oxygen available there.Origin hear Old English hieran 