Word
Definitions
01the skill or act
A1 · Beginner Uncountable noun
n. the act of paying attention to what you hear, or the ability to understand spoken language.
n. the active physiological and cognitive process of attending to and interpreting auditory signals.
“Good listening is just as important as speaking when you are having a conversation.”
“Effective leadership requires active listening to ensure that every team member feels their concerns have been genuinely understood.”
Usage
Often functions as an uncountable noun when referring to the general skill.
Synonyms
02an exercise
A2 · Elementary Countable noun Science
n. a school task or test where you listen to a recording and answer questions.
n. a pedagogical task designed to assess or develop a learner's auditory comprehension.
“We have a difficult listening in our English class tomorrow morning.”
“The advanced listening featured several different regional accents to challenge the students' phonetic processing skills.”
Usage
Commonly used as a countable noun in educational contexts.
03used for hearing
B2 · Upper Intermediate Technical
adj. describes something used for hearing or paying attention to sounds.
adj. pertaining to the act of monitoring or detecting sound; often used in technical or military contexts.
“The soldiers set up a listening post on the hill to hear the enemy.”
“The intelligence agency maintained several remote listening stations to monitor unauthorized radio transmissions across the border.”
Usage
Usually appears as an attributive adjective before a noun.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English listnynge, lustninde, from Old English hlysnende, equivalent to listen + -ing.
From Middle English listnynge, lustnynge, lystenynge, equivalent to listen + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Domain
- 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.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL 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: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- A1 · Beginner
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/listening
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0