You might hear the term all ears being used in day to day conversation on many occasions but what is the meaning of this term? We are going to find this out as well as looking at some examples of how it can be used. We will also look at where the phrase came from in the first place.
All Ears
All Ears Meaning
All ears means that the speaker is saying they are listening intently and their attention is placed nowhere else.
Origin of this phrase
The origin of the saying all ears can be found in the 18th century and simply refers to the fact that we listen with our ears and that when we are paying attention we become ‘all ears.’
“All Ears” Examples
Examples in Statements
We are now going to look at some examples of sentences in which the term all ears might appear.
The first statement is being made by a doctor.
- OK, tell me what the problem is, I’m all ears.
The next sentence is one being said by a mother to her daughter.
- I know you have had problems lately and I’ve been busy but now I’m all ears, so tell me all about it.
Conversation Examples
The phrase all ears might be heard in many different conversations, we will now look at some examples of how it might sound.
The first conversation is one which is happening between two friends.
- Person 1: “I really need to tell you what happened at work today.”
- Person 2: “OK, just let me write this email and then I’ll be all ears.”
The next conversation is taking place between two people in the workplace.”
- Person 1: “I’m really struggling with this, can you help me?”
- Person 2: “Yes, let me explain.”
- Person 1: “OK, I’m all ears.”
Other examples:
- I will be all ears for people who have requests and feedback about absolutely anything.
- The children were all ears when Granny told them stories.
- Everyone was all ears as soon as I mentioned a cash prize.
Other Ways to Say the Idiom
There are other ways in which you might express the meaning of the phrase all ears, let’s take a look at some of these now.
- You have my undivided attention
- Listening completely
- Eager to hear something
- Listening carefully
- Paying attention
Meaning of “All Ears” | Image
Last Updated on March 28, 2020
Nice, I liked it, would love to learn some more idioms and phrases for daily conversation basis.