• (America) IPA: /ˈlɪs.nɪŋ/, /ˈlɪs.ən.ɪŋ/

listening (not comparable)

1. Of something or someone that listens.

   Any listening person can tell she's lying.

2. Of something that is used in order to hear or to improve the ability to hear.

   He could hear better when he used his listening device.

3. Of an action that is performed with caution and attention to sounds.
   • 1912 January, Zane Grey, chapter 5, in Riders of the Purple Sage: A Novel, New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, OCLC 6868219 ↗:

     The safest cover lay close under the wall of the cañon, and here through the dense thickets Venters made his slow, listening advance toward the oval.

1. present participle of listen#English|listen

listening (plural listenings)

1. Action of the verb listening
2. An educational exercise involving listening

   OK, students, today we're going to do a couple of listenings about the environment, then a reading about crime.

3. Skill or ability of perceiving spoken language.

   You can improve your listening well by watching English-language films.

• French: écouter
• German: Zuhören
• Russian: слу́шание

• Russian: ауди́рование