Definition of: listen

(lis′ən) v.i.
1. To make an effort to hear; give ear.
2. To pay attention; give heed or compliance, as to warning or advice.
—noun The act of listening. [OE hlysnan]
—lis′·ten·er noun Synonyms (verb): attend, hark, harken, hear, heed, list⁴. To hear is simply to become conscious of sound, to listen is to make a conscious effort to hear. We may hear without listening, as words suddenly uttered in an adjoining room; or we may listen without hearing, as to a distant speaker. In listening the ear is intent upon the sound; in attending the mind is intent upon the thought, but listening implies some attention to the meaning or import of the sound. To heed is not only to attend, but to remember and observe. Harken is nearly obsolete. Antonyms: ignore, neglect, scorn, slight.