1 C1 idiomatic informal
To heed or pay attention to someone's advice, warnings, or instructions (dialectal).
"If you had listened after your father's advice, you wouldn't be in this mess now."
inseparable
listen after
C1 informal inseparable transitive
To pay attention to or follow advice, warnings, or instructions (dialectal/archaic).
In plain English
To really pay attention to what someone says and do what they tell you.
What does "listen after" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To listen and then follow after (in the direction of) what you have heard.
Actually means
To really pay attention to what someone says and do what they tell you.
Usage tip
Dialectal and archaic; found in some Scottish, Irish, and older rural British English dialects. Not used in standard modern English. ESL learners are unlikely to encounter this in everyday contexts.
Words that pair with "listen after"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
advice warning instructions counsel words
How to conjugate "listen after"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
listen after
I/you/we/they
3rd person
listens after
he/she/it
Past simple
listened after
yesterday
Past participle
listened after
have + pp
-ing form
listening after
continuous
Hear "listen after" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "listen after" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "listen after"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
follow heed obey pay heed to take note of
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