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View synonyms for

hear

[ heer ]

verb (used with object)

heard hearing.
  1. to perceive by the ear:

    Didn't you hear the doorbell?

    Synonyms:

  2. to learn by the ear or by being told; be informed of:

    to hear news.

    Synonyms:

  3. to listen to; give or pay attention to:

    They refused to hear our side of the argument.

  4. to be among the audience at or of (something):

    to hear a recital.

    Synonyms:

  5. to give a formal, official, or judicial hearing to (something); consider officially, as a judge, sovereign, teacher, or assembly:

    to hear a case.

  6. to take or listen to the evidence or testimony of (someone):

    to hear the defendant.

  7. to listen to with favor, assent, or compliance.

    Synonyms: ,

    Antonyms:

  8. (of a computer) to perceive by speech recognition.


verb (used without object)

heard hearing.
  1. to be capable of perceiving sound by the ear; have the faculty of perceiving sound vibrations.
  2. to receive information by the ear or otherwise:

    to hear from a friend.

  3. to listen with favor, assent, or compliance (often followed by of ):

    I will not hear of your going.

  4. (of a computer) to be capable of perceiving by speech recognition.
  5. (used as an interjection in the phrase Hear! Hear! to express approval, as of a speech.)

hear

/ ɪə /

verb

  1. tr to perceive (a sound) with the sense of hearing
  2. tr; may take a clause as object to listen to

    did you hear what I said?

  3. whenintr, sometimes foll by of or about; when tr, may take a clause as object to be informed (of); receive information (about)

    have you heard?

    to hear of his success

  4. law to give a hearing to (a case)
  5. whenintr, usually foll by of and used with a negative to listen (to) with favour, assent, etc

    she wouldn't hear of it

  6. intrfoll byfrom to receive a letter, news, etc (from)
  7. hear! hear!
    an exclamation used to show approval of something said
  8. hear tell dialect.
    to be told (about); learn (of)
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈ𲹰, adjective
  • ˈ𲹰, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • 𲹰·· adjective
  • 𲹰· noun
  • dzܳ·𲹰 verb (used with object) outheard outhearing
  • ·𲹰 verb reheard rehearing
  • un·𲹰·· adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of hear1

First recorded before 950; Middle English heren, Old English hēran, hīeran; cognate with Dutch horen, German ö, Old Norse heyra, Gothic hausjan; perhaps akin to Greek ú𾱲 ( acoustic )
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Word History and Origins

Origin of hear1

Old English hieran; related to Old Norse heyra, Gothic hausjan, Old High German ō, Greek akouein
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Idioms and Phrases

  • another county heard from
  • hard of hearing
  • never hear the end of
  • not have it (hear of it)
  • unheard of
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Synonym Study

Hear, listen apply to the perception of sound. To hear is to have such perception by means of the auditory sense: to hear distant bells. To listen is to give attention in order to hear and understand the meaning of a sound or sounds: to listen to what is being said; to listen for a well-known footstep.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The charter schools case heard Wednesday highlighted the stark shift in religion law that has been engineered by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. over the last decade.

From

From the gorgeous opener, “Be Kind,” to the uplifting closer, “Believer,” this 11-song statement is as beautiful a record as you will hear this year and heralds the arrival of a major talent.

From

Investigators also raised concerns with due process, flagging reports that detainees could not meaningfully participate in court hearings because staff had not given them prescribed medication or other needed treatment.

From

We hear from South Vietnamese people who left the country and learn about the experiences lived by those who chose to stay after the People’s Army of Vietnam took Saigon.

From

Now the case has finished, South Wales Police has published details of a misconduct hearing for the former officer.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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