go in one ear and out the other
To be heard but not attended to, when a person fails to pay attention.
He told me whom he saw, but it went in one ear and out the other.
ADJ
left, right | inner, middle, outer | big, large
long
The dog perked up its long ears when it heard the doorbell ring.
pointed/pointy | floppy
torn
After the fight, he had a torn ear that needed stitches at the hospital.
sharp
The dog's sharp ears perked up at the sound of the mailman arriving.
trained
A musician's trained ear can detect even the smallest mistakes in the orchestra's performance.
listening
She spoke quietly because she knew there were listening ears in the next room.
receptive, sympathetic
When he presented his business idea to investors, he finally found a sympathetic ear willing to fund the project.
VERB + EAR
plug
She plugged her ears during the loud fireworks so they wouldn't hurt.
close, shut, stop
The children shut their ears to their mother's warnings about staying out late.
strain
We all strained our ears trying to hear what the teacher was saying over the noise.
prick up
When the kitten heard a strange noise, it pricked up its ears.
flatten, lay back, put back
The dog flattened its ears against its head when it heard the loud noise.
pierce
My daughter wants to pierce her ears before her birthday party next month.
syringe
The doctor syringed my ear to remove the earwax buildup.
echo in, ring in
The sound of the alarm clock rang in my ears even after I turned it off.
hiss in, whisper (sth) in
reach
When rumors about the company layoffs reached my ears, I immediately called my manager.
EAR + VERB
hear sth, pick sth up
My ear picked up a strange humming sound coming from inside the refrigerator.
prick (up), twitch
The dog's ears twitched at the sound of the doorbell ringing outside.
be alert
The security guard's ears were alert to any unusual noises in the empty building.
strain
He strained his ears to catch the whispered conversation across the crowded room.
pop
When I went up the mountain, my ears started popping because of the change in altitude.
ring
After the loud concert, my ears were ringing for hours.
EAR + NOUN
canal, drum, lobe | infection | plug, protector
flap, muffs
The puppy's ear flaps were so long that they dragged through his water bowl.
wax
PREP
in your ~
My friend whispered something in my ear during the movie, and I couldn't help laughing.
PHRASES
beam/grin/smile from ear to ear, can't believe your ears
When he told me I had won the lottery, I couldn't believe my ears at first.
(drop/have) a word in sb's ear
I had a word in my boss's ear about the promotion before the deadline.
fall on deaf ears
The manager's promises to improve working conditions fell on deaf ears with the frustrated staff.
for sb's ears alone
She whispered something for his ears alone during the crowded party.
keep your ears open
We kept our ears open during the meeting to catch any important announcements about the project.
music to sb's ears
When she heard the final bell ring, it was music to her ears.
turn a deaf ear to sth
My parents turned a deaf ear to my complaints about the noisy neighbors.
with half an ear
I heard the news with half an ear while I was cooking dinner last night.
ADJ
fine, good
VERB + EAR
have
PREP
by ~
My father learned to cook by ear, never following recipes exactly.
~ for
Sarah has always had an excellent ear for music and learned to play piano by listening.