Ears do a way greater than allow us to hear—they’ve also stimulated a number of colorful expressions used in normal language. These expressions, referred to as idioms, add personality and creativity to the way we talk. For example, announcing someone “has massive ears” doesn’t seek advice from the size of their ears in any respect—it normally means they’re secretly listening in on a conversation.
Ear-related idioms can deliver many different thoughts, from describing a person who can pay close interest to a person who completely ignores what’s being stated. Understanding these terms not handiest makes conversations more attractive but additionally helps you draw close the subtle meanings at the back of English expressions.
In this manual, we’ll destroy down famous ear idioms, discover their origins, and provide an explanation for how they’re used in actual existence. By the way, you’ll have a richer vocabulary and might even discover yourself sprinkling a few of these idioms into your very own conversations.
Idioms About Ears
1. In One Ear and Out the Other
Meaning: To rapidly forget about or certainly neglect approximately a few components which have emerged as said.
Example: “I reminded Tom about the deadline, however it went in one ear and out the other.” / “Her commands went in a single ear and out the alternative.”
Similar Expressions: Not paying for a hobby, letting it slip away.
2. All Ears
Meaning: To be completely targeted and ready to concentrate.
Example: “Go ahead and tell me everything; I’m listening!” / “When the educator added the plan, the entire group became all ears.”
Similar Expressions: Attentive, eager to concentrate.
3. Have a Good Ear
Meaning: To have a herbal capability to apprehend sounds, tune, or voices as it should be.
Example: “She has an excellent ear for choosing accents.” / “He can discover any chook truly with the resources of its song—he’s been given an amazing ear.”
Similar Expressions: Musically talented, sharp taking note of.
4. Keep Your Ears Open
Meaning: Should remain vigilant and focus on important details.
Example: “Keep your ears open for news about the sale.” / “He kept his ears open at some point during the briefing.”
Similar Expressions: Stay conscious, concentrate carefully.
5. Lend an Ear
Meaning: To be privy to a person with empathy or hobby.
Example: “I’m proper right here to lend an ear if you want to speak.” / “She lent an ear to her buddy’s troubles.”
Similar Expressions: Offer useful resources, be a remarkable listener.
See also “Effective Expressions to Show You’re Angry“
6. Fall on Deaf Ears
Meaning: To be unnoticed or no longer acted upon.
Example: “His warnings fell on deaf ears.” / “Her request for assistance fell on deaf ears.”
Similar Expressions: Overlooked, neglected.
7. Butter Wouldn’t Melt in Their Mouth
Meaning: To appear innocent, calm, or candy even as probable hiding the truth.
Example: “She acts like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, however she’s not as angelic as she seems.”
Similar Expressions: Seems harmless, appearance natural.
8. Listen With Half an Ear
Meaning: To pay for the handiest partial hobby.
Example: “He listened with half of an ear on the same time as scrolling on his smartphone.” / “I caught the information with half of an ear at the same time as cooking.”
Similar Expressions: Distracted listening, not without a doubt engaged.
9. Have an Ear to the Ground
Meaning: To live privy to fashionable tendencies or data.
Example: “In the world of fashion, she usually has her ear to the floor.”
Similar Expressions: Stay knowledgeable, be within the loop.
10. Give Someone an Earful
Meaning: To talk sharply or whinge strongly to someone.
Example: “My boss gave me an earful for being late.” / “The teacher gave the company an earful after the loss.”
Similar Expressions: Scold, reprimand.
11. Be All Ears (Alternate Form)
Meaning: To show pleasure approximately being attentive to something.
Example: “I’m all ears for your tour story.”
Similar Expressions: Keen to concentrate, simply attentive.
12. In Someone’s Good Books
Meaning: To be in someone’s choice or on their incredible component.
Example: “Helping her with the report positioned me in her unique books.”
Similar Expressions: Well-desired, favored.
13. Have a Sharp Ear
Meaning: To be capable of encountering even the smallest sounds.
Example: “He has a sharp ear for musical errors.”
Similar Expressions: Acute being attentive to, attentive listener.
14. Turn a Deaf Ear
Meaning: To intentionally neglect someone or a few things.
Example: “He grew to grow to be a deaf to their pleas.”
Similar Expressions: Disregard, pay no hobby.
15. Get It in Your Ears
Meaning: To pay attention to the same element time and again, frequently as nagging.
Example: “I’ve been getting it in my ears approximately cleansing my room all week.”
Similar Expressions: Be harassed and keep listening to it.
16. Play It by using Ear
Meaning: To cope with situations as they arrive in the region following a difficult and rapid plan.
Example: “We don’t have a time table; we’ll play it via ear.”
Similar Expressions: Be flexible, improvise.
17. A Turn of the Ear
Meaning: To deliver complete interest to listening.
Example: “She gave a flip of the ear while he started out speaking.”
Similar Expressions: Listen carefully, awareness in.
18. With an Ear For
Meaning: To have a natural functionality in a specific place, mainly sounds or languages.
Example: “She picks languages quickly and has an ear for them.”
Similar Expressions: Skilled at, talented in.
19. A Word in Your Ear
Meaning: To percentage something privately or in self notion.
Example: “I’ll speak with you about the plan.”
Similar Expressions: Whisper, tell in thriller.
20. Have Itchy Ears
Meaning: To be curious about information or gossip.
Example: “She’s been given itchy ears for the modern day rumors.”
Similar Expressions: Gossip-loving, nosy.
21. Bend Someone’s Ear
Meaning: To talk to someone at length, frequently about some uninteresting issue.
Example: “He bent my ear about his excursion for hours.”
Similar Expressions: Talk without stop, ramble.
22. Be All Ears For
Meaning: To be very interested by paying attention to information about some precise factor.
Example: “I’m eager to hear about your live performance.”
Similar Expressions: Enthusiastic listener, tremendously attentive.
23. Hear Through the Grapevine
Meaning: To analyze something in a roundabout manner or through gossip.
Example: “I learned about the challenge’s start from rumors.”
Similar Expressions: Hear rumors, second-hand information.
24. An Ear for a Joke
Meaning: To understand and experience humor without troubles.
Example: “He’s got an ear for a comedian story and simply maintains anyone guffawing.”
Similar Expressions: Sense of humor, comedian timing.
25. A Listening Ear
Meaning: A man or woman who willingly listens with information.
Example: “She’s typically there with a listening ear as soon as I’m disillusioned.”
Similar Expressions: Supportive listener, being involved pal.
26. Have Your Ear to the Ground (Alternate Form)
Meaning: To stay alert to adjustments or facts.
Example: “He is keeping a close eye out for political developments.”
Similar Expressions: Remain conscious, maintain information.
27. Give an Ear To
Meaning: To pay cautious interest to someone or a few issues.
Example: “Give an ear to what she’s saying—it’s essential.”
Similar Expressions: Listen closely, reputation on.
28. Sounding Board
Meaning: Someone who listens and gives comments or guidance.
Example: “She’s my sounding board for logo spanking new mind.”
Similar Expressions: Adviser, trusted listener.
29. A Hair’s Breadth Away From
Meaning: Extremely close to carrying out or experiencing some issue.
Example: “Winning had been just a hair’s breadth away.”
Similar Expressions: Nearly there, almost accomplished.
30. Music to My Ears
Meaning: Something that is very attractive or fine to pay attention to.
Example: “Hearing that my holiday changed into authorized turn out to be tracked to my ears.” / “The statistics about the infant’s recovery turn out to be music to her ears.”
Similar Expressions: Wonderful records, first-rate to pay attention.
MCQs
1. What is meant by the saying “In one ear and out the other”?
a) To listen carefully
b) To ignore or quickly forget something
c) To remember everything perfectly
d) To whisper to someone
Answer: b) To ignore or quickly forget something
2. If someone says “I’m all ears,” they are:
a) Trying to avoid listening
b) I’m quite interested in hearing your thoughts.
c) Distracted by something else
d) Talking non-stop
Answer: b) I’m quite interested in hearing your thoughts.
3. Which idiom describes someone who has a natural ability to recognize sounds or music accurately?
a) Keep your ears open
b) Have a good ear
c) Play it by ear
d) A word in your ear
Answer: b) Have a good ear
4. “Keep your ears open” means:
a) Ignore everything
b) Listen attentively and stay alert
c) Repeat what you hear
d) Block out noise
Answer: b) Listen attentively and stay alert
5. If your advice “fell on deaf ears,” it means:
a) It was carefully followed
b) No one heard you
c) It was ignored
d) It was repeated
Answer: c) It was ignored
6. Which idiom refers to someone who appears sweet or innocent but may be hiding their true nature?
a) Have itchy ears
b) Butter wouldn’t melt in their mouth
c) Bend someone’s ear
d) A listening ear
Answer: b) Butter wouldn’t melt in their mouth
7. “Listen with half an ear” means:
a) To pay full attention
b) To only partly listen
c) To overhear a secret
d) To be a good listener
Answer: b) To only partly listen
8. Which idiom means “to stay informed about current events or trends”?
a) Have your ear to the ground
b) Give an ear to
c) In someone’s good books
d) Turn a deaf ear
Answer: a) Have your ear to the ground
9. If someone “gives you an earful,” they are:
a) Praising you
b) Scolding or complaining to you
c) Sharing a secret
d) Giving advice
Answer: b) Scolding or complaining to you
10. “Play it by ear” means:
a) Follow a strict plan
b) Improvise and adapt as you go
c) Memorize music
d) Ignore instructions
Answer: b) Improvise and adapt as you go
11. Which idiom means “to share something privately”?
a) A word in your ear
b) Music to my ears
c) A listening ear
d) Sounding board
Answer: a) A word in your ear
12. If someone “has itchy ears,” they:
a) Are good listeners
b) Are eager for gossip or news
c) Avoid talking
d) Have a musical talent
Answer: b) Are eager for gossip or news
13. “Bend someone’s ear” means:
a) Speak to someone for a long time
b) Refuse to listen
c) Give helpful advice
d) Listen carefully
Answer: a) Speak to someone for a long time
14. Which idiom refers to hearing something indirectly through gossip?
a) Have a sharp ear
b) Hear through the grapevine
c) Music to my ears
d) In someone’s good books
Answer: b) Hear through the grapevine
15. If someone says news was “music to my ears,” they mean:
a) It was loud and annoying
b) It was exactly what they wanted to hear
c) It was unexpected
d) It was confusing
Answer: b) It was exactly what they wanted to hear
Summary
This article explores the charming international of ear-associated idioms, explaining their meanings, origins, and utilization in normal English. It starts by highlighting how ears aren’t just for hearing; however , they have stimulated many colorful expressions that add creativity to language.
With explicit meanings, the main phrase enumerates thirty frequent ear idioms, such as “in one ear and out the other,” “all ears,” “play it via ear,” and “track to my ears.” examples, and comparable expressions. These idioms cover more than a few thoughts, from attentive listening to ignoring someone, and from gossip to improvisation.
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