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have an ear for

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have an ear for something

Fig. to have the ability to learn music or languages. Bill doesn't have an ear for music. He can't carry a tune. Mary has a good ear for languages.

See also: ear, have

have an ear for something

to be especially good at hearing and repeating sounds The author has a good ear for ordinary speech and writes realistic dialog.

Usage notes: said especially of speech or music

Related vocabulary: have an eye for something

See also: ear, have

have an ear for something

if someone has an ear for music, poetry, or languages, they are good at hearing, repeating, or understanding these sounds (often negative) She's never had much of an ear for languages.

See also: ear, have