DictionaryAI

hear

SayHEER/hɪɚ//hɪə/

Formshears, hearing, heard

Often confused with listen

9 meanings of hear

Practice

  1. 1
    verbintransitive
    To perceive sound with the ears, either as a general ability or by catching a particular sound.

    She strained to hear over the noise of the crowd.

    I heard someone knocking at the back door just after midnight.

  2. 2
    find outverbtransitive
    To receive information about something; to come to learn of an event or fact.

    I heard the details of the deal from a colleague at the office.

    Did you hear what happened at the meeting yesterday?

    UsageHear about an event, hear that something happened; have heard of means you know it exists.

    Similarlearn, discover

  3. 3
    listenverbtransitive
    To listen attentively to someone or something, including by attending a teacher's lectures.

    The committee gathered to hear the proposal in full.

    Thousands came to hear the orchestra perform the symphony.

    Note

    Here hearing is something you set out to do: you go to hear a speaker, a sermon, a concert. Unlike plain perception, it takes an object you have chosen, and it pairs naturally with verbs of purpose, as in come to hear or gather to hear. Tyndale's 1526 New Testament asks "why heare ye hym?", meaning why listen to him. George Goodchild in 1935 has a character prefer to hear the results over the wireless rather than attend.

    Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

    • William Tyndale's New Testament was first published in 1526. tyndale.org
    • George Goodchild has a character prefer hearing the results over the wireless to attending. en.wiktionary.org
  4. 4
    in courtverbtransitive
    Of a court or judge, to take up and try a case, listening to the people involved.

    The judge agreed to hear arguments from both sides before ruling.

    The court heard the dispute over the contested estate.

    UsageOften passive: the case will be heard next month.

    Similartry, consider

    Note

    In legal usage the subject is a court or judge, and the object is a case, appeal, argument or party. To hear a case is to try it, not merely to sit through it.

  5. 5
    be contactedverbintransitive
    As hear from: to be contacted by someone, as by letter, call or message.

    Please write back so we can hear from you before the deadline.

    They were relieved to hear from their son after the storm.

    UsageUsed with from. In letters, look forward to hearing from you (not incorrect: look forward to hear from you).

  6. 6
    grant prayerverbtransitive
    To listen favorably to someone; to grant a request, plea, or prayer.

    After years of trying for a child, she felt heaven had finally heard her prayers.

    She prayed that the gods would hear her plea.

    Similarheed, grant, consider

    Oppositeignore, reject

Less common meanings

  1. 7
    understand feelingsverbcolloquialtransitive
    To sympathize with someone; to understand their feelings or point of view.

    I hear you, but I think there's another side to consider.

    She finally felt that her manager truly heard her concerns.

    UsageMostly in I hear you, often before but, to show you understand without agreeing.

    Similarunderstand, get

    Oppositedismiss, ignore

  2. 8
    is that clearinterjection
    Used after a command to insist that the listener has understood and will comply.

    Don't you ever do that again, you hear?

    Be home by ten, you hear me, young lady?

    UsageAdded after an order as you hear? or you hear me?; it can sound firm or friendly.

    Note

    A tag that follows an order and asks for agreement, not for an answer. It can be the full you hear me?, the shorter you hear?, or simply hear?, as in the folksy Southern farewell "Y'all come back now, hear?" It can be firm or friendly, depending on the command it follows.

    Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

  3. 9
    verbintransitive
    To consent to or even entertain an idea, used with of and nearly always in the negative as a firm refusal.

    The coach wouldn't hear of benching his star player, injury or not.

    When we suggested selling the family farm, Grandma refused to hear of it.

    UsageAfter of, use a noun, pronoun, or -ing form: She wouldn't hear of postponing the trip.

    Note

    A refusal dressed up as deafness: the proposal is not even allowed to reach the speaker's ears. It shares hear of with the "learn about" meaning, and both turn up in the negative, so the tell is willingness. I won't hear of it rejects a suggestion; I had never heard of it only admits ignorance.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of hear apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

"Hear" comes from Middle English "heren," from Old English "hīeran" ("to hear"), which traces back through Proto-Germanic "*hauzijaną" to a Proto-Indo-European form often explained as meaning "to be sharp-eared," from roots meaning "sharp" and "ear," though that analysis is uncertain. It is related to Dutch "horen," German "hören," Swedish "höra," and Ancient Greek "ἀκούω" (akoúō, "I hear").

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 8 facts