ear

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.

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.

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.

canal, drum, lobe

infection

plug, protector

flap, muffs

The puppy's ear flaps were so long that they dragged through his water bowl.

wax

in your ~

My friend whispered something in my ear during the movie, and I couldn't help laughing.

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.

fine, good

have

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.