listen away

USAGE SUMMARY

'listen away' is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is often used as a polite way of telling someone to start listening. For example, you could say: "Okay, go ahead and explain your problem. Listen away."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

That blend works well on radio, softening the stand-up format that can feel a bit excluding when you listen away from the show.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

If you go out and record anything (the street, a restaurant, the beach) and listen away from the sound's original location, you'll probably notice all kinds of events that weren't apparent to you at the time, because microphones don't discriminate in the way our ears do.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Turn off the radio, bring along an interesting audiobook or a bunch of podcasts and listen away.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Terry Christensen, who's also accused of wiretapping, was so interested in hearing Mr. Hummel's cross of Mr. Ornellas that he had at least five attorneys in court this morning listening away, including Patricia Glaser, his lawyer and partner in the firm Christensen, Glaser.

Huffington Post

"I don't know if the province will listen right away, but they will have to open up the debate.

Vice

If a student reports being bullied, be ready to listen right away.

WikiHow

Don't expect your love mate to be ready to listen right away.

WikiHow

Once they ask you to do something, you listen straight away.

WikiHow

If the person just wants to argue and doesn't want to listen, walk away from the conflict.

WikiHow

"There are a lot of pitfalls that you don't want to fall into," Millward told me, "and the women's movement has such a varied reputation that people can stop listening straight away".

The Guardian - Arts

Similar findings were reported by Wingfield and Tun [ 4] that those with a mild to moderate hearing loss had greater difficulties with recall, which could be a reflection that effortful listening took away resources available for storing information in working memory.

BioMed Research International

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "listen away" to describe listening in the background, while occupied with other tasks. For instance, "I often listen away to podcasts while I work."

Common error

Avoid using "listen away" when active or focused listening is intended. It's not appropriate to say "I'm going to listen away during the presentation" if you plan to actively engage.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "listen away" functions as a verb phrase, describing the action of listening, often implying a passive or secondary engagement with the auditory input. Ludwig AI indicates this is a usable phrase. For example, "Turn off the radio, bring along an interesting audiobook or a bunch of podcasts and listen away."

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

66.66%

Wiki

33.33%

Science

0%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "listen away" is a grammatically correct but relatively rare expression. As Ludwig AI confirms, it generally describes the act of listening passively, often while engaged in other activities. Usage is mostly found in news and media and on wikis, suggesting an informal register. While acceptable, be mindful of your audience; more formal alternatives like "listen in the background" may be preferable in professional contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

listen passively

Emphasizes the lack of active engagement while listening.

listen in the background

Highlights the passive or secondary nature of the listening activity.

begin listening

Focuses on the initiation of listening, rather than the act of listening while doing something else.

start listening

Similar to 'begin listening', this emphasizes the commencement of the listening action.

overhear

Implies listening without the intention of the speaker to be heard.

attend aurally

A more formal way of saying listen.

eavesdrop

Suggests secretly listening to a conversation.

give ear

An archaic or figurative way of saying listen.

lend an ear

Suggests offering someone your attention to listen to their problems.

be all ears

Indicates eagerness and readiness to listen.

FAQs

How can I use "listen away" in a sentence?

You can use "listen away" to describe the act of listening to something while simultaneously doing something else. For example, "I often "listen away" to music while I'm working".

What does "listen away" mean?

"Listen away" generally refers to passively listening to something in the background or while being engaged in another activity. It suggests a less focused and more casual form of listening.

Are there formal alternatives to "listen away"?

While "listen away" is informal, you could use phrases like "listen in the background" or "passively listen" in more formal contexts. These alternatives convey a similar meaning with a more professional tone.

Is it correct to use "listen away" in professional writing?

While grammatically correct, "listen away" might be too informal for certain types of professional writing. Consider your audience and the overall tone of your document. In some cases, it may be better to opt for a more formal synonym, such as "monitor audibly" or "attend passively".