What does "hearing" mean?
The sense used to perceive sound.
Hearing
/ˈhɪə.ɹɪŋ/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The sense used to perceive sound.
- Grammar: hearing is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: audition, acoustic, acoustical, administrative procedure.
- Useful contrasts: deaf, nonhearing, deafer.
- Usage evidence: I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter.
How to use "hearing"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "hearing" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "hearing" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "hearing" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "hearing" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "hearing" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "audition" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "hearing", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The sense used to perceive sound. uncountable
"My hearing isn't what it used to be, but I still heard that noise."
- 2 the act of hearing attentively wordnet
- 3 The distance or physical region within which something may be heard; earshot. uncountable
"When this conversation was repeated in detail within the hearing of the young woman in question, and undoubtedly for his benefit, Mr. Trevor threw shame to the winds and scandalized the Misses Brewster then and there by proclaiming his father to have been a country storekeeper."
- 4 (law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence wordnet
- 5 Something heard; a report or piece of news. countable
"More evidence followed. Evidence as to the financial difficulties in which the prisoner had found himself at the end of July. Evidence as to his intrigue with Mrs. Raikes—poor Mary, that must have been bitter hearing for a woman of her pride."
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 the ability to hear; the auditory faculty wordnet
- 7 The act by which something is heard; the act of perceiving by sound or the auditory sense. countable
"To such perceivings we give names like these: seeings, hearings, smellings, chillings and burnings, pleasures and pains, desires […]"
- 8 a session (of a committee or grand jury) in which witnesses are called and testimony is taken wordnet
- 9 A proceeding at which discussions are heard. uncountable
"There will be a public hearing to discuss the new traffic light."
- 10 the range within which a voice can be heard wordnet
- 11 A legal procedure done before a judge, without a jury, as with an evidentiary hearing. countable
"Next month, Clemons will be brought before a court presided over by a "special master", who will review the case one last time. The hearing will be unprecedented in its remit, but at its core will be a simple issue: should Reggie Clemons live or die?"
- 12 an opportunity to state your case and be heard wordnet
- 13 A scolding. countable, dated, informal, uncountable
Verb
- 1 present participle and gerund of hear form-of, gerund, participle, present
Adjective
- 1 Able to hear, as opposed to deaf.
"Deaf people often must deal with hearing people."
Adjective
- 1 able to perceive sound wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "hearing"?
Common synonyms include: audition, acoustic, acoustical, administrative procedure, amassing evidence, assize.
How do you use "hearing" in a sentence?
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter.
How do you pronounce "hearing"?
Pronounced /ˈhɪə.ɹɪŋ/.
Etymology
From hear + -ing.