Word
hark
US/ˈhɑɹk/
UK/hˈɑːk/
Definition
v. to listen carefully to something. You use this word when you want to show that you are paying close attention to a sound or a voice.
v. to listen attentively or with great care. Often used in the imperative form to draw attention to a specific sound or voice.
Examples
“Hark! I can hear the birds singing outside.”
“Hark to the distant thunder as the storm moves closer to the valley.”
“Hark, the sound of the approaching train grows louder as it rounds the final bend before the station.”
Examples
simple
“Hark! I can hear the birds singing outside.”
contextual
“Hark to the distant thunder as the storm moves closer to the valley.”
complex
“Hark, the sound of the approaching train grows louder as it rounds the final bend before the station.”
Real-World Examples
“The name of Cybill harks to Sibyl, the Greek prophetess; Maur sounds like the French mort .” “Burnham’s approach harks further back still to Labour prime minister Harold Wilson’s Department for Economic Affairs (DEA), a short-lived attempt to bring long-term thinking to British economic policymaking.” Etymology
From Middle English herken, herkien, from Old English hercian, heorcian, hiercian, from Proto-West Germanic hauʀikōn, hauʀukōn, derived ultimately from Proto-Germanic hauzijaną (“to hear”) + formative/intensive -k (see also the related hīeran, whence English hear). Equivalent to hear + -k. Cognate with Scots herk (“to hark”), North Frisian harke (“to hark”), West Frisian harkje (“to listen”), obsolete Dutch horken (“to hark, listen to”), Middle Low German horken (“to hark”), German horchen (“to hark, harken to”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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