hearken

verb

heark·​en ˈhär-kən 

variants or harken

hearkened or harkened; hearkening ˈhärk-niŋ 

ˈhär-kə-

or harkening

intransitive verb

1

: listen

hearkened without much mental comment

—Theodore Dreiser

2

: to give respectful attention

the humble folk who hearkened to these evangelists

—G. M. Stephenson

3

: to bring to mind something in the past : hearken back

Portrayals of dinosaurs with lizard-like tongues hearken to early interpretations of the beasts as oversized lizards.

—Mindy Weisberger

transitive verb

archaic : to give heed to : hear

Synonyms

• attend
• hark
• harken
• hear
• heed
• listen
• mind

Examples of hearken in a Sentence

hearken! I hear the distant beat of the hooves of many horses

Recent Examples on the Web

Masterpiece Theater Climate activist attacks on works by van Gogh, Vermeer, and other art world titans are the latest in a tradition of destruction that hearkens to the early Christian zealots. —JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024

Alex Kent / Getty Images In the eyes of some activists, the tumult at Columbia this week hearkens to more recent protest movements. —Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 1 May 2024

Classic Rock Couture’s fashion aesthetics hearken to the styles of Arizona daughters Stevie Nicks and Linda Ronstadt during their 1970s rocker heydays. —Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 3 Mar. 2024

Indeed, his brand of country hearkens to the early 1970s, when country music and rock music mingled freely and no one paid much mind. —Preston Jones, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English herknen, from Old English heorcnian; akin to Old High German hōrechen to listen, Old English hīeran to hear

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing hearken

• hearken back

Kids Definition

hearken

verb

hear·​ken

ˈhär-kən

hearkened; hearkening

ˈhärk-(ə-)niŋ

: listen sense 1, attend