What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Listen vs Silent - What's the difference?

listen | silent |

Silent is a anagram of listen.



As a verb listen

is to pay attention to a sound or speech.

As an adjective silent is

free from sound or noise; absolutely still; perfectly quiet.

As a noun silent is

that which is silent; a time of silence.

listen

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • (lb) To pay attention to a sound or speech.
  • :
  • *{{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Ben Travers), title=(A Cuckoo in the Nest)
    • , chapter=1 citation , passage=He read the letter aloud. Sophia listened with the studied air of one for whom, even in these days, a title possessed some surreptitious allurement.}}
  • (lb) To expect or wait for a sound, such as a signal.
  • :
  • *
  • *:It was April 22, 1831, and a young man was walking down Whitehall in the direction of Parliament Street.. He halted opposite the Privy Gardens, and, with his face turned skywards, listened until the sound of the Tower guns smote again on the ear and dispelled his doubts.
  • *
  • *:He reined Wrangle to a walk, halted now and then to listen , and then proceeded cautiously with shifting and alert gaze.
  • (lb) To accept advice or obey instruction; to agree or assent.
  • :
  • *
  • *:Never listen when they tell you that Man and the animals have a common interest.
  • To hear (something or someone), to pay attention to.
  • *1485 , Sir (Thomas Malory), (w, Le Morte d'Arthur) , Book XX:
  • *:‘But, sir, lyars ye have lystened , and that hath caused grete debate betwyxte you and me.’
  • *1592 , (William Shakespeare), : v 3
  • *:Lady, vouchsafe to listen what I say.

    • Usage notes

    In English, listen'' and ''hear'' are two primary verbs relating to audial perception. To (hear) represents automatic, unconscious, or passive perception of sound, while ''listen generally represents intentional, conscious, or purposeful use of the sense of hearing. The difference is expressed in the following quotation: : As the silence took hold in the darkness, Sam realized that she had been hearing', though not '''listening to, various low-level sounds—the hum of air conditioning and life support, the pulse of some faraway oxygen pump, the faint buzz of the electrical and lighting systems. —Justin Richards (1999) ''Demontage , chapter 5, page 92. A similar distinction exists between see'' and ''watch in English.

    Quotations

    * (English Citations of "listen")

    Synonyms

    * (to pay attention) attend, behear, give ear, hark, hear, heed, list, mind, note, pay attention * (to expect or wait for a sound) await, anticipate, expect, wait for * (to accept advice or instruction) agree, assent, mind, obey * (to hear) hear, mind, heed * See also

    Antonyms

    * (to pay attention) ignore * (to accept advice or instruction) disobey, disregard

    Coordinate terms

    * speak * talk

    Derived terms

    * listenability * listenable * listener * listenership * listening * listen in * listen up * listening post * listening station * relisten * unlistenable

    Related terms

    * list * listful

    See also

    * hear

    Anagrams

    * 100 English basic words 1000 English basic words ----

    silent

    English

    Alternative forms

    * scilent

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Free from sound or noise; absolutely still; perfectly quiet.
  • * 1604 , , Othello , act 5, scene 1:
    • How silent is this town!
  • * 1825 , , Arthur Murphy, The Works of Samuel Johnson , Talboys and Wheeler, page 52:
    • What was formerly performed by fleets and armies, by invasions, sieges, and battles, has been of late accomplished by more silent methods.
  • * 1906 , William Dean Howells and Sidney Dillon Ripley, Certain Delightful English Towns: With Glimpses of the Pleasant Country Between , Harper & Brothers, page 152:
    • The voice of the auctioneer is slow and low ; after a pause, which seems no silenter than the rest of the transaction, he ceases to repeat the bids, and his fish, in the measure of a bushel or so, have gone for a matter of three shillings.
  • Not speaking; indisposed to talk; speechless; mute; taciturn; not loquacious; not talkative.
  • * Broome
    • Ulysses, adds he, was the most eloquent and most silent of men.
  • * Milton
    • This new-created world, whereof in hell / Fame is not silent .
  • Keeping at rest; inactive; calm; undisturbed.
    • The wind is silent .
    (Parnell)
    (Sir Walter Raleigh)
  • (pronunciation) Not pronounced; having no sound; quiescent.
    • The ''e'' is silent in ''fable''.
  • Having no effect; not operating; inefficient.
  • * Sir Walter Raleigh
    • Cause silent , virtueless, and dead.
  • (technology) Without audio capability.
    • The Magnavox Odyssey was a silent console.
  • Hidden, unseen.
    • a silent''' voter; a '''silent partner
  • Not implying significant modifications which would affect a peptide sequence.
  • Undiagnosed or undetected because of an absence of symptoms.

    • Synonyms

    * See also * dumb, mute, quiet, speechless, still, taciturn

    Derived terms

    * silent alarm * silent auction * silent barter * silent butler * silent disco * silent film * silent key * silent number * silent partner * silent majority * Silent Sam * silent service * silent treatment * silent vote

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (uncountable) That which is ; a time of silence.
  • :* The silent of the night. Shakespeare
  • A silent movie
  • * {{quote-news, year=2007, date=August 12, author=Woody Allen, title=The Man Who Asked Hard Questions, work=New York Times citation
    • , passage=All kinds, silents and talkies. }}

    Statistics

    *

    External links

    * * *

    Anagrams

    * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) ----