pricking up one's ears
Perking to listen
Pricking up one's ears is suddenly becoming alert and attentive, like an animal whose ears physically rise when it hears something interesting.
The phrase describes a shift from passive to active listening: She pricked up her ears when she heard her name mentioned.
The image comes from dogs, horses, and other animals whose ear position signals attention.
- perked upBecame more cheerful
- mental focusDirected cognitive attention
- sensory perceptionDetecting stimuli through senses
- animal behaviorActions of living creatures
- intrigueSecret plotting or fascination
surprise · curiosity · active listening · tuned in · vigilance · situational awareness · eavesdropping · anticipation · excitement · concern · concentration · selective attention · picking up on · interest · fascination · what was that · ears · sharp hearing
pricking up one's earstuning out
Deliberately not hearing
turning a deaf ear · blocking out · ignoring · zoning out · switching off
pricking up one's earsspacing out
Losing focus temporarily
daydreaming · checking out · losing focus · drifting off · woolgathering
prick, pricking, pricked, pricks, earring, earrings, earlobes