Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - hear

(hears, hearing, heard) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. When you hear a sound, you become aware of it through your ears. She heard no further sounds... They heard the protesters shout: ‘No more fascism!’... And then we heard the bells ringing out... I’m not hearing properly. VERB: V n, V n inf, V n -ing, V 2. If you hear something such as a lecture or a piece of music, you listen to it. You can hear commentary on the match in about half an hour’s time... I don’t think you’ve ever heard Doris talking about her emotional life before... I’d love to hear it played by a professional orchestra. VERB: V n, V n -ing, V n -ed 3. If you say that you can hear someone saying something, you mean that you are able to imagine hearing it. Can’t you just hear John Motson now?... ‘I was hot,’ I could still hear Charlotte say with her delicious French accent. VERB: no cont, V n, V n inf 4. When a judge or a court of law hears a case, or evidence in a case, they listen to it officially in order to make a decision about it. (FORMAL) The jury have heard evidence from defence witnesses... VERB: V n 5. If you hear from someone, you receive a letter or telephone call from them. Drop us a line, it’s always great to hear from you... VERB: V from n 6. In a debate or discussion, if you hear from someone, you listen to them giving their opinion or information. What are you hearing from people there? VERB: V from n 7. If you hear some news or information about something, you find out about it by someone telling you, or from the radio or television. My mother heard of this school through Leslie... He had heard that the trophy had been sold... I had waited to hear the result... VERB: V of/about n, V that, V n 8. If you have heard of something or someone, you know about them, but not in great detail. Many people haven’t heard of reflexology. ...people who, maybe, had hardly heard the word till a year or two ago. VERB: no cont, V of n, V n 9. If you say that you have heard something before, you mean that you are not interested in it, or do not believe it, or are not surprised about it, because you already know about it or have experienced it. Furness shrugs wearily. He has heard it all before... PHRASE: V inflects 10. During political debates and public meetings, people sometimes say ‘Hear hear!’ to express their agreement with what the speaker is saying. (BRIT FORMAL) CONVENTION c darkgreen]formulae 11. If you say that you can’t hear yourself think, you are complaining and emphasizing that there is a lot of noise, and that it is disturbing you or preventing you from doing something. (INFORMAL) For God’s sake shut up. I can’t hear myself think!... PHRASE: usu with brd-neg c darkgreen]emphasis 12. If you say that you won’t hear of someone doing something, you mean that you refuse to let them do it. I’ve always wanted to be an actor but Dad wouldn’t hear of it... PHRASE: PHR n