Meaning & use
harkens
Last updated
“harkens” is a form of “harken”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbphrasal verb
Recalls or points back to an earlier time, idea or style, usually followed by back.
Grammar: Used with back and to: this design harkens back to the 1950s.
Patterns
- harken back to something
The new logo harkens back to the company's early days.
Her speech harkens back to a time of simpler politics.
The café's decor harkens back to old railway stations.
verbintransitiveliteraryold-fashioned
Listens carefully to something or someone, with attention.
Grammar: Usually followed by to: she harkens to the old stories.
Patterns
- harken to someone
- harken to something
The child harkens to every word her grandfather says.
He harkens to the sound of the distant bells.
A wise leader harkens to the concerns of the people.
Word forms
| base form | harken |
|---|---|
| past tense | harkened |
| past participle | harkened |
| -ing form | harkening |
Common combinations
- harkens back to
- The song harkens back to the folk revival.
- harkens to the past
- The festival harkens to the past in every detail.
- harkens to a time
- The film harkens to a time before smartphones.
- harken to a call
- Voters harken to the call for change.
Synonyms and how they differ
- recalls
- Recalls is neutral and works for memory generally, while harkens back to stresses a link with an earlier era.
- echoes
- Echoes suggests a close repeated pattern, whereas harkens back suggests a nostalgic connection.
- hearkens
- Hearkens is the older spelling of the same word, and looks even more formal.
- listens
- Listens is everyday and neutral, while harkens in its listening sense sounds poetic or old-fashioned.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: harkens or hearkens? harkens or hark?
harkens vs hearkens
Hearkens is the same verb with the older spelling, not a different word. Do not confuse either with harks, which only appears in harks back to.
harkens vs hark
Hark is a related word, as in hark back to, but it is used mostly in that phrase.
Practice
The museum's new wing ___ back to the grand style of the 1920s.
Choose one answer.
Harkens back to means recalls an earlier style. Hears, harms and hurries do not combine with back to in this meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “harkens”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.