What does reheard mean?
Reheard means heard again. The word is the past tense and past participle of the relatively uncommon verb rehear, and it is especially associated with hearing a recording, performance, statement, or piece of evidence a second time. In everyday conversation, people often use the more explicit phrase “heard again,” but “reheard” has a formal or literary quality and can suggest a deliberate second listen. For example, a panel may rehear testimony before reaching a decision, while a musician or editor may rehear a recorded passage to notice details that were missed earlier. The word combines the prefix re-, meaning “again,” with hear, making its meaning transparent. Its uncommon status can make it sound emphatic or deliberate, as though the act of listening again has particular significance.
verb (past tense and past participle)Reheard means heard again, especially when a recording, performance, statement, or piece of evidence is experienced or presented a second time. It is the past tense and past participle of rehear.
- Heard or listened to again.
- Received or considered again, as testimony, evidence, or a statement.
"The committee reheard the witness before reaching its decision."
"We reheard the interview and noticed a detail we had missed."
"The witness was reheard by the inquiry before the hearing ended."
“Reheard” turns listening into an encore: sound that comes back for a second round.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does reheard come from?
Reheard is formed in English from the prefix re-, meaning “again,” and hear. The older verb rehear has followed the ordinary pattern of English verbal prefixation, with its past tense and past participle taking the ending -ed. The underlying sense is therefore simply “heard again,” and related forms such as hearing, hearsay, and hearken belong to the same English word family.
Related word forms
How reheard is actually used
The form is relatively uncommon in everyday speech, where “heard again” is often clearer. It can describe replaying recorded material as well as hearing testimony or evidence a second time.
Easily confused with reheard
Reheard means heard again, whereas rehearsed means practiced or prepared for a performance.