Meaning & use
harked
Last updated
“harked” is a form of “hark”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitiveliterary
Talked again about something from the past, or reminded people of an earlier time.
Grammar: No object; usually followed by 'back to' and the thing being remembered: hark back to childhood.
Patterns
- hark back to something
- hark back to a time
In his speech he harked back to the long summers of his childhood.
The band's new song harks back to the simple folk music of the 1960s.
She harked back to the days when the whole family lived in one small house.
verbintransitiveold-fashionedliterary
Listened carefully to something, especially in older stories or poetry.
Grammar: No object; often used as a command in old-fashioned writing: Hark! I hear a sound.
Patterns
- hark at something
- hark to someone
The old poem begins with the words 'Hark, the herald angels sing'.
Hark at that noise coming from the street!
Word forms
| base form | hark |
|---|---|
| third person singular | harks |
| present participle | harking |
| past tense | harked |
| past participle | harked |
Common combinations
- hark back to something
- The film harks back to the science-fiction classics of the 1950s.
- hark back to a time
- Grandpa often harks back to a time before mobile phones.
- hark back to the past
- The designer's latest collection harks back to the past.
- hark at someone
- Hark at him, telling us all how to save money!
Synonyms and how they differ
- recall
- Use 'recall' when someone actively remembers or mentions a fact; 'hark back' suggests a nostalgic return to an earlier period.
- echo
- 'Echo' means to repeat or resemble something, often a sound or idea, while 'hark back' focuses on looking back in time.
- reminisce
- 'Reminisce' means to talk happily about past experiences; 'hark back' can also suggest that something is similar to an earlier thing, not just remembered.
Opposites
Word family
- hark verb
- The base form, used in the same way, especially in the phrase 'hark back to'.
- harker noun
- A rare, old-fashioned word for a listener.
Commonly confused: harked or hawked? harked or hacked?
harked vs hawked
'Hawked' is the past tense of 'hawk', meaning to sell goods in the street or to cough up phlegm; it sounds similar but has nothing to do with remembering.
harked vs hacked
'Hacked' is the past tense of 'hack', meaning to cut roughly or to break into a computer; check the spelling carefully.
Practice
In her speech, the mayor ___ back to the town's proud history.
Choose one answer.
'Harked back to' is the fixed phrase meaning 'talked about the past'. 'Hawked' and 'hacked' are different verbs with different meanings, and 'harked at' does not fit the pattern 'hark back to something'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “harked”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.