verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
härkən
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈhɑːk(ə)n/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈhɑɹkən/
rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)kən
Early, Modern:/ˈhærkən/
Early, Modern, uncommon:/ˈhɛːrkən/
1
verb
Meaning 1
To hear (something) with attention; to have regard to (something).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Qualifier: archaic except poetic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered; to hear with attention, compliance, or obedience.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To enquire; to seek information.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
listen; used mostly in the imperative
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: hark, harken
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: listen
History
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.
Across languages
Translations
22 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
слушам
(slušam)
— to listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered
Bulgarian:
вслушвам се
(vslušvam se)
— to listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered
Finnish:
kuunnella
— to listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered
Finnish:
kuunnella tarkkaan
— to listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered
German:
horchen
— to listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered
German:
hören
— to listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered
German:
lauschen
— to listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered
Gothic:
𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌷𐌰𐌿𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽
(andhausjan)
— to listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered
Ancient Greek:
ὑπακούω
(hupakoúō)
— to listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered
Ido:
askoltar
— to listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered
Italian:
dare ascolto
— to listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered
Italian:
ascoltare con attenzione
— to listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered
Italian:
prestare orecchio
— to listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered
Portuguese:
escutar atentamente
— to listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered
Russian:
вы́слушать
(výslušatʹ)
— to listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered
Russian:
вне́млить
(vnémlitʹ)
— to listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered
Russian:
внима́ть
(vnimátʹ)
— to listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered
Serbo-Croatian:
počuti
— to listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered
Serbo-Croatian:
saslušati
— to listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered
Swedish:
lystra
— to listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered
Turkish:
dinlemek
— to listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered
Turkish:
kulak vermek
— to listen; to attend or give heed to what is uttered