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| Language: | Old English |
| Origin: | hlysnan |
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lis‧ten1 S1 W1
[intransitive]
[intransitive]1 to 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! There's a strange noise in the engine. listen carefully/intently/hard etc The whole class was listening attentively. Liz stood still and listened hard (=very carefully).
! listen is never followed directly by a noun. It must be followed by to and then a noun or a clause: Listen to what I say (NOT listen what I say).The whole class was listening attentively.Liz stood still and listened hard (=very carefully).2 spoken used to tell someone to pay attention to what you are going to say : Listen, I want you to come with me.
Listen, I want you to come with me.3 to consider what someone says and accept their advice : I told him not to go, but he just wouldn't listen.
I told him not to go, but he just wouldn't listen.listen for something
phrasal verbListen for the moment when the music changes.listen in
phrasal verb2 to listen to someone's conversation when they do not want you to
listen out
phrasal verblisten up
phrasal verbHey everybody, listen up!