English Dictionary

HEAR (heard)

Pronunciation (US): Play  (GB): Play

IPA (US): 

Irregular inflected form: heard  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation

 Dictionary entry overview: What does hear mean? 

HEAR (verb)
  The verb HEAR has 5 senses:

1. perceive (sound) via the auditory senseplay

2. get to know or become aware of, usually accidentallyplay

3. examine or hear (evidence or a case) by judicial processplay

4. receive a communication from someoneplay

5. listen and pay attentionplay

  Familiarity information: HEAR used as a verb is common.


 Dictionary entry details 


HEAR (verb)

 Conjugation: 
Present simple: I / you / we / they hear  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation ... he / she / it hears  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
Past simple: heard  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
Past participle: heard  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
-ing form: hearing  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation


Sense 1

Meaning:

Perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Hypernyms (to "hear" is one way to...):

comprehend; perceive (to become aware of through the senses)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "hear"):

catch; overhear; take in (hear, usually without the knowledge of the speakers)

catch; get (perceive by hearing)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

They will hear the duet

Derivation:

hearable (heard or perceptible by the ear)

hearing (the ability to hear; the auditory faculty)


Sense 2

Meaning:

Get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

discover; find out; get a line; get wind; get word; hear; learn; pick up; see

Context example:

I see that you have been promoted

Verb group:

find; see; witness (perceive or be contemporaneous with)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "hear"):

get the goods (discover some bad or hidden information about)

wise up (get wise to)

catch; trip up (detect a blunder or misstep)

ascertain (learn or discover with certainty)

discover; find (make a discovery)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sentence example:

They hear that there was a traffic accident


Sense 3

Meaning:

Examine or hear (evidence or a case) by judicial process

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

hear; try

Context example:

The case will be tried in California

Hypernyms (to "hear" is one way to...):

examine; probe (question or examine thoroughly and closely)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "hear"):

rehear; retry (hear or try a court case anew)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

hearing (a session (of a committee or grand jury) in which witnesses are called and testimony is taken)


Sense 4

Meaning:

Receive a communication from someone

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Context example:

We heard nothing from our son for five years

Hypernyms (to "hear" is one way to...):

pick up; receive (register (perceptual input))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP


Sense 5

Meaning:

Listen and pay attention

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

hear; listen; take heed

Context example:

We must hear the expert before we make a decision

Hypernyms (to "hear" is one way to...):

center; centre; concentrate; focus; pore; rivet (direct one's attention on something)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "hear"):

incline (bend or turn (one's ear) towards a speaker in order to listen well)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

hearer (someone who listens attentively)

hearing (the act of hearing attentively)


 Context examples 


In a few minutes they heard the pattering of tiny feet, and many of the small gray mice came running up to her.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

I heard of him first in rather a romantic manner, from a lady who owes to him the happiness of her life.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

Again Buck knew them as things heard in that other world which persisted in his memory.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

Though we were in shelter, we could hear the rising wind, for it moaned and whistled through the rocks, and the branches of the trees crashed together as we swept along.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

I was very much shocked to hear of this melancholy accident, and said I thought I had better have some water.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Maybe you’ve heard or read about its potential benefits.

(Can Chocolate Really Be Good for You?, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Does the patient describe hearing voices or act as if he/she hears voices?

(NPI - Describe Hearing Voices or Act as if He/She Hears Voices, NCI Thesaurus)

Harrison heard the order and understood what was demanded of him, but hesitated.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

He heard the wolfish snarling and yelping of strange dogs and the sound of voices.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Does he/she seem to see, hear or experience things that are not present?

(NPI - Hallucinations Such as Seeing False Visions or Hearing False Voices, NCI Thesaurus)



 Learn English with... Proverbs 
"Faint heart ne'er won fair lady." (English proverb)

"As you sow, so shall you reap." (Bulgarian proverb)

"The fruit of silence is tranquility." (Arabic proverb)

"He whom the shoe fits should put it on." (Dutch proverb)



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