hear of
phrasal verb.phrasal verb. to know that someone or something exists because you have been told about them or read about them.
phrasal verb. to possess knowledge of the existence of a person, place, or thing; often used in the negative or in questions to indicate a lack of familiarity.
I have never heard of that band before.
Have you heard of the new restaurant that opened on the corner last week?
While many scholars have heard of his earlier work, few are familiar with the obscure manuscripts he produced during his final years in exile.
- know of
- be aware of
- be familiar with
- be unaware of
- ignore
- Particles
- of
- Separability
- inseparable
- Pattern
- hear + of + object
usually followed by a noun or a name; frequently appears in the present perfect tense.
contrast with 'hear about' (which implies learning specific details or news) versus 'hear of' (which implies simple awareness of existence).
I heard of that he is famous.I heard that he is famous.do not use 'of' when introducing a clause starting with 'that'; 'hear of' must be followed by a noun phrase.
Last updated April 24, 2026