all ears
all ears (idiom)
/ɔːl ɪəz/ (UK), /ɔl ɪrz/ (US)
Synopsis
“All ears” means to listen eagerly and with full attention. The phrase originated in Britain and first appeared in the early 1600s, where it was used figuratively in moral prose. It later entered everyday English, coming to mean being fully attentive—as in “I’m all ears.”
Meanings
- Listening eagerly and with great attention.
- Fully attentive and ready to hear every word.
- Eager to learn details or hear news or gossip.
- (Literal / humorous) Acting as though one’s entire body is focused on listening.
Synonyms: attentive; listening closely; all attention; eager to hear; focused; vigilant; careful.
Example Sentences
- When the teacher began explaining the surprise project, the class was all ears.
- “Go ahead, I’m all ears,” she said, leaning forward eagerly.
- The crowd was all ears waiting to hear the final announcement.
- The kids in my class were all ears as I told them the story.
- He bent forward, all ears, pretending even his hair could listen. (literal)
Origin and History
The phrase “all ears” most likely developed through a natural shift from literal meaning to figurative expression. Ears are the organs of hearing, and by describing someone as “all ears,” English speakers created a vivid image of a person entirely devoted to listening. The modifier “all” amplifies the sense of totality, implying complete and undivided attention. This kind of exaggeration—transforming physical parts into metaphors for emotional or mental states—was common in early modern English writing.
Early Figurative Foundation in Moral Prose
A significant early instance of “all ears” appears in ‘The Holy Court in Five Tomes: The Angel of the Court’ (1626), written by Nicolas Caussin and translated into English by Sir T. Hawkins. On page 12, the text reads:
“And what assurednesse may we hope for in humane things, if all ears should become as credulous as tongues are licentious?”
In this passage, “all ears” conveys the notion of universal receptiveness or complete attention to instruction. Though not yet an idiom in the conversational sense, the phrase already demonstrates a figurative use that anticipates the later meaning of being fully attentive. Its early presence in this moral and religious prose shows how sensory metaphors were employed to express states of mind long before they became fixed idiomatic expressions.
Parallel Idioms and Sensory Metaphors
The emergence of “all ears” belongs to a wider English linguistic pattern that paired “all” with sensory nouns to express heightened awareness—such as “all eyes” for watching keenly or “all mouth” for excessive talking. These constructions became stylistically popular in the 17th century. Writers and preachers used them to dramatize perception, virtue, and emotion, reflecting the broader cultural fascination with bodily metaphors to describe psychological states.
Social and Contextual Development
In later centuries, particularly during the 18th and early 19th centuries, “all ears” began to appear in theater reviews, essays, and conversational contexts. Its meaning evolved from moral attentiveness to social attentiveness—used to describe people eager to listen to speeches, performances, or stories. This shift reflected changes in English society, where polite listening and active participation in conversation were increasingly regarded as marks of refinement and civility.
Country of Origin
The idiom “all ears” originated in Britain. Its first recorded English use appears in a London-printed edition of The Holy Court in 1626, and subsequent examples in the 18th and 19th centuries also come from British sources. The linguistic structure, cultural environment, and textual distribution confirm that the expression was established in British English before it spread to other varieties, including American English.
Evolution and Popularization
By the 19th century, “all ears” had become firmly idiomatic, appearing in literary dialogues and everyday conversation. Writers used it to capture eagerness, curiosity, or attentive listening in social settings. Over time, the phrase lost its original moral tone and acquired a more neutral, conversational sense—describing any listener who is fully focused or keenly interested.
Variants
- be all ears
- I’m all ears
- we’re all ears
- all ears for (something)
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