verb
hearken
Hearken (verb) means to listen to something carefully and take notice of it.
verb
1
To listen to something carefully and take notice of it.
2
To pay close attention to what someone says, especially so as to obey it.
3
To ask questions in order to find something out.
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Etymology
From Middle English herkenen (“to listen (attentively); to pay attention, take heed”) [and other forms], from Old English hercnian, heorcnian, hyrcnian, from *heorcian (“to hark”) infixed with -n-, from Proto-West Germanic *hauʀijan, from Proto-Germanic *hauzijaną (“to hear”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ḱh₂owsyéti (“to be sharp-eared, hear well”), from *h₂eḱ- (“sharp”) + *h₂ṓws (“ear”) + *-yéti (denominative suffix), thus equivalent to hark + -en. The spelling of the English word was probably influenced by hear; a similarly analogical pronunciation existed in Early Modern English.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for hearken
See all rhymes for hearken →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of hearken?
"hearken" (verb) means to listen to something carefully and take notice of it.
What is another word for hearken?
Other words for "hearken" include harken, hark.
What are the different meanings of hearken?
"hearken" has 3 main meanings: 1. To listen to something carefully and take notice of it; 2. To pay close attention to what someone says, especially so as to obey it; 3. To ask questions in order to find something out.
