hearken

hearken Definition

hearken (här′kən)

intransitive verb

Now Literary to give careful attention; listen carefully: with to

Etymology: ME herknien < OE heorknian, hyrcnian < base of hieran: see hear

transitive verb

Archaic to heed; hear

hearken Idioms

hearken back

to go back in thought or speech; revert; hark back: usage objected to by some

hearken Synonyms

notice, attend, observe; see hear 1, listen 1.

hearken Usage Examples

Preposition: unto

voice: And they hearkened not unto the voice of their father and so the Lord said, I will slay them.

Particle object:

voice: The angels are " mighty in strength " for they " hearken unto the voice of His word " ( Ps.

Modifying Another Word

diligently: You need wait upon God, and hearken diligently.
back: Whilst there's some merit in hearkening back to a bygone era, I think you can take the premise a little too far.
therefore: Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways.
not: We often hear our enemies teaching our duty to us, that will not hearken to God.
still: But even while he sings the song of the Sirens, he still hearkens to the barking of the Sphinx.
also: This method also hearkens back nicely to the way ancient healers would sip the dewdrops of flowers to cull their precious benefits.

Browse dictionary entries near hearken