From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishlistenlis‧ten1 /ˈlɪsən/ ●●● S1 W1 verb [intransitive] 1 LISTENto pay attention to what someone is saying or to a sound that you can hear Listen! There’s a strange noise in the engine.listen to We sat around listening to music.listen carefully/intently/hard etc The whole class was listening attentively. Liz stood still and listened hard (=very carefully).► see thesaurus at hear2 spokenATTENTION used to tell someone to pay attention to what you are going to say Listen, I want you to come with me.3 THINK ABOUTto consider what someone says and accept their advice I told him not to go, but he just wouldn’t listen.listen to I wish I’d listened to Dad. She refused to listen to reason (=accept sensible advice).THESAURUSlisten to pay attention to what someone is saying or to a sound that you hearI didn’t hear the answer, because I wasn’t listening when she read it out.He listened carefully to every word I said.pay attention to listen carefully to what someone is sayingI nodded to show I was paying attention.She was tired and wasn’t paying attention to what he was saying.eavesdrop to secretly listen to someone else’s conversation by standing near them, hiding behind a door etcI caught him eavesdropping on our conversation.They spoke in quiet voices which made it hard to eavesdrop.overhear to hear someone say something, especially accidentallyI overheard him say something about wanting to move house. Excuse me! I couldn’t help overhearing that you were planning a trip to Thailand. tune in (to something) to listen to a radio programme, or to someone using a radio transmitterOver a million people tune in to the programme each week.Tune in at the same time next week for the next episode. The equipment could be used by criminals to tune in to police broadcasts. tap to connect a piece of electronic recording equipment to a telephone system so that you can listen to people’s telephone conversationsThe police had tapped the phones of all three suspects.The president had to resign over an illegal phone-tapping operation.bug to hide a small piece of electronic recording equipment in someone’s room, car, office etc in order to listen secretly to what is said thereSecurity agents bugged their offices and managed to get some evidence against them.Wells was convinced the house was bugged and insisted on playing loud music while we talked. GRAMMAR: Comparisonlisten• You listen to someone or something: I love listening to classical music. ✗Don’t say: I love listening classical music.• You listen to someone or something doing something: I listened to the rain falling on the roof.hear• You hear someone or something: I heard a sudden shout.• You hear someone or something do something: I heard something fall into the water.• You hear someone or something doing something: I heard someone shouting. → listen for something → listen in → listen out → listen up→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
listen• Take the time to sit back and listen and establish a routine for yourself.• You had better be listening because I'm not going to repeat myself.• He listened carefully to every word I said.• Listen, don't panic. I'm sure we can get your money back.• If you listen hard, you can hear the sound of the sea in the distance.• Listen, I've just had a really good idea.• If you listened in class you might get better grades.• Mrs Singh leaned forward, listening intently as they explained the procedure to her.• The company has begun to listen more carefully to its customers, in a determined attempt to improve customer service.• Listen! There's someone coming upstairs!• Jezebel ... Don't listen to a word they say.• Why should the adventurers stop and listen to any of this?• One of Maya Angelou's own pleasures is listening to great voices.• I could hear foreign voices raised in the kitchen and stopped listening to my companions.• I also listen to Oscar Peterson.• I could listen to Placido Domingo all day -- he has such a beautiful voice!• He listened to relaxation tapes and practiced breathing exercises to stop hyperventilating.• They had to sit listening to talk about people they had not met, only heard of.• I didn't hear the answer, because I wasn't listening when she read it out.listen to• What station are you listening to?• Bob warned us about this. I wish I'd listened to him.• I always listen to the news while I have my breakfast.• I like listening to the radio.• Lucy sat in her car, listening to the radio.• You tell him Dad - I'm sure he'll listen to you.• I wish I'd listened to your advice.listen to reason• Sonnenberg shrugged, as if to say that his client wouldn't listen to reason.• The child is usually too emotionally overwrought to listen to reason.listenlisten2 noun → a listenExamples from the Corpus
listen• So go on Sounds readers, give All a listen.• They're definitely worth a listen.Origin listen Old English hlysnan 