Standard Lemma guide

hearken

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