listen in

Thân thiện

The children listen in on the adults' conversation from behind the sofa.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To listen to a conversation without the knowledge of the speaker(s): To secretly hear what others are saying, typically with the intent of gathering private information.
   • To listen to a broadcast, such as a radio transmission or an online stream: To tune in and hear a program or communication intended for an audience.

Usage Examples

• Verb (eavesdrop):
  • The spy was able to listen in on the enemy's radio communications.
  • Please don't listen in on my private phone calls.
• Verb (to a broadcast):
  • Thousands of people listen in to his weekly podcast.
  • We used a shortwave radio to listen in to the international news station.

Advanced Usage

• "to listen in on": This phrasal construction is commonly used, especially when specifying the conversation or broadcast being monitored.
  • It is unethical to listen in on a confidential meeting.
  • Amateur radio operators often listen in on emergency service channels.

Variants and Related Words

• Eavesdrop (verb): To listen secretly to a private conversation. This is a close synonym for the first meaning of "listen in."
• Tune in (phrasal verb): To adjust a receiver to receive a particular signal or program. This is related to the second meaning of "listen in."

Synonyms

• Eavesdrop: To listen secretly to a private conversation.
• Monitor: To watch, listen to, or check something for a special purpose over a period of time.
• Overhear: To hear something without the speaker intending you to hear it, often by accident.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Listen in: As a phrasal verb, it is used intransitively (e.g., ) or transitively with the preposition "on" (e.g., ).

Related Idioms

• To have one's ear to the ground: To be attentive to rumors or trends, which can involve a form of listening in to general chatter.
• On the air: Broadcasting or being broadcast, which is what one tunes into when they listen in to a radio show.

Học thuật

Verb

1. listen without the speaker's knowledge
   • the jealous man was eavesdropping on his wife's conversations
2. listen quietly, without contributing to the conversation

Từ đồng nghĩa

• eavesdrop