listen vs hear
Definitions
verb
- hear with intention
- listen and pay attention
- pay close attention to; give heed to
Examples
Although he has mellowed a little since then, he is still a long way from being easy listening.
He seemed a little taken aback, sat and listened with fur bristling, one hand stroking the back of the other.
Preachers paid for time to sermonize, listeners could call in, some slots were reserved for Christian music.
Definitions
verb
- examine or hear (evidence or a case) by judicial process
- perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
- get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally
- listen and pay attention
- receive a communication from someone
Examples
The baby was born with a heart problem and only survived for a few hours.
Some lucky local with an open fire had determined the evening warranted a little extra cheer, more than the central heating could provide, and had lit a small blaze on his hearth.
I play the piano, so it is natural for me to think ‘harmonically’ a lot of the time (one can hear harmonies instantly on a piano; also mainstream jazz is extremely harmony driven).
