Phrase guide

listen in

verb · 5 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.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To listen without participating.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Do you mind if I listen in on your meeting tomorrow?
  • We invite you to listen in to our radio broadcast.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To eavesdrop; to listen secretly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • You should close the door for conversations like that. You never know who might be listening in.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To listen to a radio broadcast.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dated

Examples

  • Did you listen in to the concert last night?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

listen quietly, without contributing to the conversation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: listen

5

verb

Meaning 5

listen without the speaker's knowledge

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the jealous man was eavesdropping on his wife's conversations

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: eavesdrop

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: listen

Narrower terms: wiretap, tap, intercept, bug

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Cantonese: 收聽 /收听 (sau1 teng1) — to listen without participating
  • Chinese Mandarin: 收聽 /收听 (shōutīng) — to listen without participating
  • Dutch: meeluisteren — to listen without participating
  • Finnish: kuunnella — to listen without participating
  • Italian: origliare — to listen without participating
  • Turkish: bağlanmak — to listen without participating
  • Czech: odposlouchávat — to listen secretly
  • Dutch: luistervinken — to listen secretly
  • Dutch: afluisteren — to listen secretly
  • Finnish: salakuunnella — to listen secretly
  • German: zuhören — to listen secretly
  • Hungarian: hallgatózik — to listen secretly
  • Italian: origliare — to listen secretly
  • Polish: podsłuchiwać — to listen secretly