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listening. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
listening, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
listening in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
listening you have here. The definition of the word
listening will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
listening, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Middle English listnynge, lustninde, from Old English hlysnende, equivalent to listen + -ing.
Adjective
listening (not comparable)
- Of something or someone that listens.
- Any listening person can tell she's lying.
- Of something that is used in order to hear or to improve the ability to hear.
- He could hear better when he used his listening device.
- Of an action that is performed with caution and attention to sounds.
Derived terms
Translations
of something that listens
of something that is used in order to hear
Verb
listening
- present participle and gerund of listen
1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter X, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:It was a joy to snatch some brief respite, and find himself in the rectory drawing–room. Listening here was as pleasant as talking; just to watch was pleasant. The young priests who lived here wore cassocks and birettas; their faces were fine and mild, yet really strong, like the rector's face; and in their intercourse with him and his wife they seemed to be brothers.
Derived terms
Etymology 2
From Middle English listnynge, lustnynge, lystenynge, equivalent to listen + -ing.
Noun
listening (plural listenings)
- An act by which something or somebody is listened to.
This symphony grows on me more and more with each listening.
2010 May 3, Michael Senior, “CD Review: Massive Attack, "Heligoland"”, in The Oklahoman, archived from the original on 2024-01-03:It is an album that rewards multiple listenings.
- An educational exercise involving listening.
OK, students, today we're going to do a couple of listenings about the environment, then a reading about crime.
- Skill or ability of perceiving spoken language.
You can improve your listening well by watching English-language films.
Derived terms
Translations
act by which something or somebody is listened to
ability of perceiving spoken language
Anagrams