Expressions with the word ear

Are you looking for some popular ear idioms?

Well, we have you covered.

In this post, we are going to look at 47 ear idioms, what they mean and how to use them in a sentence.

1. As Cute As A Bug’s Ear

• Meaning: used to describe something or someone who is cute. Adorable.
• Use In A Sentence: Your kitty is as cute as a bug’s eat.

2. One’s Ears Are Red

• Meaning: a person who is blushing because of embarrassment.
• Use In A Sentence: Mark’s ears were red after his teacher put him on the spot in front of the entire class.

3. A Box On The Ear

• Meaning: being hit on the ear, usually a form of punishment.
• Use In A Sentence: Mom gave Jared a box on the ear the second he walked into the door.

4. A Flea In Your Ear

• Meaning: sharp reproof.
• Use In A Sentence: Dad gave me a flea in the ear for not going out and getting a job.

5. All Eyes And Ears

• Meaning: to give one’s full attention.
• Use In A Sentence: Okay, I am all eyes and ears. Tell me, how did you meet Jason?

6. Assault The Ear

• Meaning: to be painfully loud to listen to.
• Use In A Sentence: Wow the music at that party was so loud. I couldn’t even think with that music assaulting my ear.

7. To Be Easy On The Ear

• Meaning: something that is enjoyable to listen to.
• Use In A Sentence: I found jazz music to be very easy on the ear.

8. To Be Out On Your Ear

• Meaning: to be forced to leave a situation. Usually a job, one’s home, etc.
• Use In A Sentence: After 15 years of working for the same company, I am out on my ear because the new manager thinks I am too old.

9. To Believe One’s Ears

• Meaning: to believe what a person has heard.
• Use In A Sentence: I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard that she got promoted at work.

10. To Bend One’s Ear

• Meaning: to talk to a person so much that they get bored or annoyed with all the talking.
• Use In A Sentence: Paul was bending my ear over his retirement plan for the past two hours.

11. Cloth Ears

• Meaning: a funny way to refer to someone who wasn’t paying attention or listening to something important.
• Use In A Sentence: Let’s go cloth ears. Didn’t you hear Mr. Peterson call our name?

12. Can’t Make A Silk Purse Out Of A Sow’s Ear

• Meaning: you can’t turn something ugly into something beautiful or you can’t turn something that has no value into something that has a lot of value.
• Use In A Sentence: If you want something nice, you need to buy high-quality materials. Remember, you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.

13. To Have Nothing (or very little) Between The Ears

• Meaning: a funny way to refer to a person who doesn’t have much common sense or is not too clever.
• Use In A Sentence: What can you tell me about Tom? Well, he is great when it comes to constructing things, but he has nothing between his ears.

14. To Cock An Ear At Something

• Meaning: to listen intently.
• Use In A Sentence: When I heard them talking about my friends, I cocked an ear hoping to learn more.

15. To Come To One’s Ears or To Reach One’s Ears

• Meaning: to eventually hear about something that others have already heard about.
• Use In A Sentence: So, it came to my ears that you are thinking about quitting your job, is that true?

16. Coming Out Of One’s Ears

• Meaning: to have a lot of something.
• Use In A Sentence: Steve is so rich he has money coming out of his ears.

17. Dry Behind The Ears

• Meaning: a person who has a lot of experience in a given situation.
• Use In A Sentence: I don’t think that is a good idea for these young boys, they aren’t dry behind the ears yet.

18. Ear Hustler

• Meaning: a person who gossips.
• Use In A Sentence: Be careful what you tell Julie, she is an ear hustler. If you tell her some news everyone will know before the day ends.

19. To Have One’s Ear To The Ground

• Meaning: to be listening to what is going to happen. It can also mean to be well informed.
• Use In A Sentence: To be successful in this business, you need to always have your ear to the ground.

20. One’s Ears Are Burning

• Meaning: people are talking about a person, usually behind their back without them knowing it.
• Use In A Sentence: Were your ears burning last night? We were talking about how you are such a good example for us.

21. To Fall On Deaf Ears

• Meaning: to be ignored by the ones who should be listening.
• Use In A Sentence: Any advice we gave them about moving abroad seem to fall on deaf ears.

22. To Get One’s Ears Pinned Back

• Meaning: to receive a harsh scolding.
• Use In A Sentence: Mark got his ears pinned back the moment he walked into the room.

23. To Give An Ear To Someone

• Meaning: to listen to someone.
• Use In A Sentence: Thank you for giving me an ear. I feel much better talking about this with you.

24. To Give Someone A Thick Ear

• Meaning: (British English) to punish someone by hitting them on the side of the head.
• Use In A Sentence: If you don’t listen, I will tell your father and he will give you a thick ear.

25. Go Blow It Out Your Ear!

• Meaning: another way to say, leave me alone.
• Use In A Sentence: What did you do to your room? Go blow it out your ear! I don’t want to talk about it.

26. To Have Someone Or Something By The Ears

• Meaning: to be in control of that person or thing.
• Use In A Sentence: It is okay. I spoke to James about it. I think I have the situation by the ears now.

27. To Have A Word In One’s Ear

• Meaning: to speak to a person privately about something. Usually to offer a suggestion or give a warning.
• Use In A Sentence: Hey Alex, can I have a word in your ear for a moment?

28. To Have An Ear For Something

• Meaning: to be good at learning something quickly by listening. It usually is used with music or a foreign language.
• Use In A Sentence: Hannah has an ear for learning foreign languages. She picks them up so quickly.

29. To Have Steam Coming Out Of One’s Ears

• Meaning: to be visibly upset about something.
• Use In A Sentence: John was not happy. He ran out of the house with steaming coming out of his ears. I think he just needs a little time to cool down.

30. To Have The Right Sow By The Ear

• Meaning: to correctly understand a situation.
• Use In A Sentence: Don’t talk to him until you have the right sow by the ear.

31. To Be In Earshot

• Meaning: to close enough to hear what somebody says.
• Use In A Sentence: Last night I was in earshot of their conversation and heard them talking about you.

32. To Lend An Ear To Someone

• Meaning: to listen to someone.
• Use In A Sentence: Thank you for lending an ear to Jessie last night. I could tell she was happy to speak with you about this problem.

33. Like Trying To Scratch One’s Ear With One’s Elbow

• Meaning: something that is very difficult if not impossible to do.
• Use In A Sentence: Getting these 3 boys to calm down and listen is like trying to scratch my ear with my elbow.

34. To Listen With Half An Ear

• Meaning: to partially pay attention to what is being said.
• Use In A Sentence: What did the teacher say? I missed it. I was only listening with half an ear.

35. To Play It By Ear

• Meaning: to improvise rather than make definite plans.
• Use In A Sentence: I don’t know if I will have to work tomorrow or not. So, let’s play it by ear. If I don’t have to work, I will talk to you.

36. To Ring In One’s Ears

• Meaning: to remember something so clearly it is as if you can still hear it.
• Use In A Sentence: His final words still ring in my ears down to this day.

37. To Put A Bug In One’s Ears

• Meaning: to give a person some information or an idea in a subtle and discreet way.
• Use In A Sentence: Mary has been putting a bug in his ear about what she wanted for her anniversary, but apparently, he didn’t get it.

38. To Talk One’s Ear Off

• Meaning: to talk so much it causes the other person to be bored
• Use In A Sentence: I hope Sam isn’t at the party tonight. He always talks my ear off.

39. To Be Up To One’s Ear In Debt

• Meaning: to owe a lot of money.
• Use In A Sentence: After college and then buying a new car, I am up to my ears in debt right now.

40. Virgin Ears

• Meaning: used to refer to a person who is young or innocent and has not been exposed to profanity.
• Use In A Sentence: Watch what you say! Remember there are virgin ears in the room.

41. To Whisper Sweet Nothings In One’s Ears

• Meaning: to whisper words of affection to your loved one.
• Use In A Sentence: I loved how he used to whisper sweet nothings in my ear we when were dating.

42. To Turn A Deaf Ear To Someone Or Something

• Meaning: to willing ignore someone.
• Use In A Sentence: Adam turned a deaf ear to the cries for help.

43. To Be Wet Behind The Ears

• Meaning: to be inexperienced.
• Use In A Sentence: I don’t know what to think about Mary being the new manager. In my opinion, she is still wet behind the ears.

44. To Prick Up One’s Ear

• Meaning: to suddenly pay close attention to what is happening or what is being said.
• Use In A Sentence: When Marty heard his name in the hallway, he pricked up his ears.

45. To Have Big Ears

• Meaning: to eavesdrop.
• Use In A Sentence: Be careful what you say in the office. Some people have big ears.

46. To Smile From Ear To Ear

• Meaning: to have a big smile.
• Use In A Sentence: She was smiling from ear to ear as she accepted the award for the best teacher.

47. To Get One’s Ears Lowered

• Meaning: to get a haircut.
• Use In A Sentence: I have to go downtown to get my ears lowered.

There You Have It! 47 Useful Ear Idioms! Which one is your favorite?

Ear idioms are a fascinating aspect of the English language, with many expressions using the ear as a metaphor for a variety of meanings. From “falling on deaf ears” to being “up to one’s ears,” these idioms can be both amusing and confusing to non-native speakers. In this blog post, we’ll explore some common ear idioms and their meanings.

be all ears be out on one’s ear bend someone’s ear can’t believe one’s ears fall on deaf ears give someone an earful

grin from ear to ear in one ear and out the other keep an ear to the ground lend an ear/sympathetic ear music to your ears one’s ears are burning

pin someone’s ears back play it by ear prick up your ears put a bug in someone’s ear the walls have ears up to one’s ears wet behind the ears

Learning about idioms can be a fun and useful way to improve your English language skills. Keep reading to discover how we use our ears to convey meaning beyond just hearing sounds. 

Ear Idioms Examples

Learn the meaning of these idioms and understand them by seeing each one used in an example sentence. You may be surprised, some of these idioms are not about hearing at all! Enjoy.

be all ears: to be fully listening or paying attention to someone.

• “I’m all ears. Please tell me your story.”

be out on one’s ear: to be fired or dismissed from a job or position. 

• “If he doesn’t improve his performance, he’ll be out on his ear.”

bend someone’s ear: to talk to someone for a long time, often in a way that is boring or annoying. 

• “I was trying to enjoy my lunch, but my coworker bent my ear about his new car for an hour.”

can’t believe one’s ears: to be surprised or shocked by what one hears. 

• “I couldn’t believe my ears when my boss told me that I got a promotion.”

fall on deaf ears: to be ignored or not listened to. 

• “I tried to warn him about the dangers of smoking, but my advice fell on deaf ears.”

give someone an earful: To give someone a long and often angry lecture or criticism.

• “When the customer service representative gave her the wrong order, she gave him an earful.”

grin from ear to ear: Have a very big and happy smile.

• “When she got the job offer, she was grinning from ear to ear.”

in one ear and out the other: to hear something but quickly forget it or not pay attention. 

• “I told him to study for the test, but it went in one ear and out the other.”

keep an ear to the ground: to stay informed about a particular situation or development. 

• “As a journalist, I have to keep an ear to the ground to know what’s happening in the world.”

lend an ear/a sympathetic ear: to listen to someone who needs to talk or share their problems.

• “I’m here to lend an ear if you ever need to talk about anything.”
• “If you ever need a sympathetic ear just give me a call.” 

music to your ears: Hearing something that is very pleasing to you or that you have been waiting for.

• “The news that he got the promotion was music to his ears.”

one’s ears are burning: When you have a feeling that someone is talking about you, usually in a negative way.

• “We’ve been talking about Thomas all morning, I bet his ears are burning now.” 

pin someone’s ears back: to criticize or reprimand someone severely. 

• “The coach pinned the team’s ears back after their poor performance in the game.”

play it by ear: to make a decision or plan based on how a situation develops rather than deciding in advance. 

• “Let’s not make any concrete plans yet. We’ll just play it by ear and see what happens.”

prick up your ears: To suddenly start paying close attention or become interested in something that you hear.

• The students seemed distracted and not paying attention but their ears pricked up when they heard the teacher say ‘pop quiz’.”

put a bug in someone’s ear: to suggest an idea or plan to someone in a subtle or indirect way.

• “I put a bug in my boss’s ear about getting a new coffee machine for the staff break room.”

the walls have ears: Be careful what you say, as you never know who might be listening.

• In the modern world of digital surveillance, it’s important to watch what you say at all times. The walls have ears.”

up to one’s ears: to be very busy or deeply involved in something. 

• “I’m up to my ears in work this month. I’m sure I’ll be doing lots of overtime.”

wet behind the ears: Lacking experience or knowledge, particularly in a particular field or area.

• “The new intern is still wet behind the ears so we shouldn’t be too hard on him.”

Find the dictionary definition of EAR and more Idioms at ear noun – OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com 

Idiom FAQs: 

1. Can ear idioms be used in formal settings, such as business or academic writing?

It depends on the specific idiom and the context in which it is being used. Some ear idioms can be appropriate for use in formal settings, while others may be too informal or inappropriate.

For example, idioms such as “in one ear and out the other” may be too informal for use in academic or business writing. However, idioms such as “keep an ear to the ground” (meaning to stay informed about something) could be appropriate in certain contexts.

It’s important to consider the audience and the purpose of the writing when deciding whether to use ear idioms in a formal setting. In general, it’s best to be overly cautious and avoid using idioms that could be considered too informal or unfamiliar to the audience.

1. How can I incorporate idioms into my everyday conversation?

Incorporating ear idioms into your everyday conversation can add color and personality to your language. Here are a few tips to help you use idioms effectively:

Use the correct idiom: Make sure you understand the meaning of the idiom and use it appropriately. Using the wrong idiom or misusing an idiom can be confusing or even embarrassing.

Practice makes perfect: The more you practice using idioms, the more comfortable you will become with incorporating them into your conversation. This includes not being afraid to make a mistake now and then. (Don’t be scared to try!) 

Context is key: Consider the context and your audience before using an ear idiom. If you’re unsure if it’s appropriate to use a particular idiom, it’s best to not use it.

Be natural: Use ear idioms in a natural and conversational way. Don’t force them into a conversation if they don’t fit. Remembering how native speakers use idioms in certain situations is very helpful. You want to mirror that experience in your own conversation.

Check out these other great Idiom Blog Posts.

В английском языке много интересных устойчивых словосочетаний, идиом и фразеологических оборотов со словом ear (ears). Некоторые из них имеют прямые параллели в русском языке. Например, про широкую улыбку «от уха до уха» можно сказать: to smile / grin from ear to ear. Или про занятого человека так и скажем: «по уши в работе», He’s up to his ears in work. Even walls have ears here, тоже понимаем буквально: у стен есть уши, говорить на эту тему опасно.

Интересно выражение dog-eared books – это про потрёпанные книги с загнутыми уголками страничек. Вот как в этих предложениях: Dog-eared books and magazines are on sale here. Или ещё: My daughter finally found a dog-eared copy of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” in the school library.

Идиома уровня С1 “to have an ear for something”

Конечно, говоря про уши, в первую очередь приходят в голову ассоциации с музыкой. Про музыкальный слух можно сказать: to have an ear for music. Например: This student has an ear for music. Фразу можно усилить, добавив слово good: to have a good ear for music. Как здесь: My son has a good ear for music, he always has the tunes right.

Про человека с плохим музыкальным слухом можно сказать: He has no ear for music. Или просто: tone-deaf.

Кстати, слух нужен не только для музыки, но и для изучения иностранных языков: My friend has never had much of an ear for languages.

Прямое и переносное значение “by ear”

Продолжая разговор про музыку: хорошие музыканты могут подобрать мелодию «на слух», то есть “by ear”. Например: Peter learnt to play the piano by ear, without written music. Ещё: He is so talented, at the age of 4 he could play the piano by ear. Можно настраивать инструмент на слух: tune by ear.

Однако, “by ear” также используется и в переносном значении в идиоме уровня С2 play it by ear, в значении «действовать по ситуации, без предварительного плана, импровизировать». К примеру: We can’t make up our mind to go to Peterhof or the Hermitage Museum. Let’s see what the weather’s like and play it by ear.

Идиомы с ear в ежедневном общении.

Ещё одна ассоциация, которая приходит на ум с вязи со словом “ear” – это, конечно, общение, беседа («сесть на ухо»). Да-да, в английском есть похожие идиомы:

• bend somebody’s ear – говорить о каких-либо проблемах, вести продолжительную беседу: I need to bend your ear: this problem is very serious.
• talk somebody’s ear off – эквивалентная фраза в Американском английском. Пример: I met Mary yesterday and she talked my ear off about her kids.

С ушами (ears) в английском связано несколько идиом о внимательности:

• prick up one’s ears – навострить уши. Из жизни: My kids pricked up their ears when I mentioned going to the beach.
• turn a deaf ear to – наоборот, не обращать внимания: Peter’s parents turned a deaf ear to his requests for money.
• fall on deaf ears – идиома уровня С2, близкая к предыдущей по значению: быть проигнорированным, остаться без внимания. Пример: The negotiator’s appeals to release the hostages have fallen on deaf ears.
• go in one ear and out the other – в одно ухо влетело, в другое вылетело, как в данной ситуации: I told the kids to go to bed, but it went in one ear and out the other, and they continued playing.

Напоследок, ещё одна полезная идиома: have / keep one’s ear to the ground имеет значение «держать руку на пульсе», внимательно следить за событиями. Из современных реалий можно привести следующий пример: I haven’t heard of any new coronavirus mutations, but I’ll keep my ear to the ground.

Если какие-то из приведенных идиом окажутся интересными и полезными для вас, it will be music to my ears. Ой, ещё одна идиома!

А какие идиомы со словом ear знаете вы? Делитесь в комментариях.

Использовано:School фото создан(а) freepik — ru.freepik.com