WordGarden.iohark
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /hˈɑːk/
US
- /ˈhɑrk/
Meanings
Verb
to listen or pay close attention
in hark back, to recall or return to an earlier time, topic, or style
Beyond the definition
You might know "hark" from old stories, poems, or songs. It is an old-fashioned word that means to listen carefully or pay close attention, often because something seems important. Picture a watchman on a castle wall calling, "Hark! What was that sound?" He is not just hearing something by chance; he is stopping to listen with care. The word often appears as a command or call, asking someone to notice a sound, a warning, or an important message.
"Hark" is an old-fashioned word meaning to listen attentively. It suggests more than simply hearing a sound. It means stopping, focusing, and giving careful attention, often because something important, surprising, or urgent may be happening. In older English, it was often used as a call or command, much like saying "Listen!" or "Pay attention!"
Today, "hark" is rare in normal conversation, but it still appears in literature, poetry, songs, and phrases that sound old or dramatic. Shakespeare used it to create a formal tone, as in Cymbeline: "Hark, hark! the lark at heaven's gate sings." Many people also know it from the Christmas carol "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," where it calls listeners to attend to an important announcement.
There is also the modern phrase "hark back," which means to go back to, remind people of, or call up something from the past. For example, "This debate harks back to arguments made decades ago." That phrase is now more common than the single word on its own. So while you may not use "hark" much in everyday speech, understanding it helps you follow older writing and hear the tone of a dramatic call to listen closely.
Examples
- 1
Music style
The band's new album harks back to the funk music of the 1970s.
- Patternhark back to + earlier time/style/idea
remind people of it
- 2
Older attitudes
Some of his comments harked back to an age when teachers were rarely questioned.
- 3
Old-fashioned speech
Hark, I hear someone coming up the stairs.
- Usage
hark is old-fashioned and means "listen"
See also
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- harkverb
Forms
- harking-ing formverb
- harksverb
- harkedpast tenseverb