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Glite Dictionary
to lend an ear

to lend an ear

3 3.2
To listen to someone and show you care
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : escuchar
  • So, do not hesitate to reach out to others who can lend a sympathetic ear.
  • willing to lend an ear
  • lend a sympathetic ear
  • always lend an ear

Examples

  • Such Christians lament their woes to anyone who will lend a sympathetic ear, but they rarely lobby to change laws or enlist help from courts to enforce laws.

    Academic text (2018)

  • I am here to share my world and my faith with everyone who will lend an ear.

    Blog text (23)

  • Thanks for lending an ear!

    Blog text (6)

  • Lend an ear and have some fun.

    What a Way to Go! (1964)

  • The friends said the usual things: always willing to lend a sympathetic ear.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • I'm always here to lend an ear whenever you need to talk about your problems.

  • If a friend is upset, it's important to lend an ear and offer support.

  • Don't hesitate to lend an ear to someone who is going through a tough time.

Synonyms

to listen
vsto lend an ear
∞ 1.0

Pay attention to advice or warnings and act on them

gives comfort and sympathy rather than only focused attention
to hear
vsto lend an ear
∞ 1.0

Listen to someone carefully to consider what they say

prioritizes giving sympathy and emotional care over mere consideration
to hear out
vsto lend an ear
  • Informal
92 3.2

Listen to someone until they finish speaking

focuses on offering sympathy and care, not only continuous attention
to hear me out
vsto lend an ear
  • Informal
86 4.4

Listen to someone until they finish speaking

asks for empathy and emotional support rather than only full attention
to give ear
vsto lend an ear
  • Archaic
1 6.2

To listen carefully to someone

offers sympathy and emotional support rather than just attention

Antonyms

to ignore
∞ 1.0

Choose not to pay attention to someone or something

How Attentive

to lend an ear
  • Informal
3 3.2
to listen
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

lend an ear infinitive
lending an ear present participle
lends an ear third person singular
lent an ear past
lent an ear past participle

Morphology

lend + an + ear

The verb 'lend' means to give temporarily and 'ear' is commonly used metonymically for listening, so 'lend an ear' transparently maps to 'give someone your ear' — i.e., pay attention or listen. This is a predictable composition with cross-linguistic parallels (e.g. 'prestar oído' in Spanish), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will likely infer the meaning.

Etymology

Lend an ear comes from the simple picture of offering your ear to someone, with lend meaning 'to give for a short time' and the idea that you let them speak. That's why it means 'to listen' or 'to give someone your attention'.