lending an ear
Hearing someone out
Lending an ear means giving someone your attention and listening to what they have to say.
The phrase suggests temporary, willing attentiveness—you're offering your hearing as a kind of loan: Could you lend an ear for a minute? I need some advice.
It often implies sympathy or patience with someone's troubles.
- listenPerceive sound attentively
- nonjudgmentalNot forming harsh opinions
- empatheticFeeling what others feel
- understandingMental comprehension of something
- heart to heartCandid intimate discussion
attentive · conversation · talk it out · patience · presence · being there · shoulder to cry on · confide · trusted confidant · validation · discussion · helping · counseling · vent · feedback · hear out · compassion · reassuring
lending an eartuning out
Deliberately not hearing
ignoring · turning a deaf ear · zoning out · not listening · spacing out
lending an eardismissing
Removing from position
brushing off · stonewalling · closing one's ears · shutting down · turning away