kiːp ən ɪr tuː ðə ɡraʊnd
Body Parts
neutral
intermediate
- Literally:
- To position one's ear against the ground
What does "keep an ear to the ground" mean?
- To stay alert to new developments and information
- To monitor trends and upcoming changes
Examples
- Keep your ear to the ground for any job openings.
- Good managers keep their ear to the ground about employee concerns.
- She always keeps an ear to the ground for industry trends.
Origin
From Native American and frontier tracking techniques—placing an ear to the ground to detect distant horses or people through vibrations.
How to use it
Implies proactive information gathering. Common in business and politics.
Similar expressions
stay informed
stay alert
be watchful
Opposites
be oblivious
ignore signals
be out of touch
Related idioms
- keep an eye on
To watch or monitor something carefully
- heart of gold
A very kind, generous, and caring nature
- caught red-handed
Caught in the act of doing something wrong
- keep your chin up
To stay positive and not be discouraged
- wrap your head around something
To understand something complex
- all ears
Listening attentively and eagerly
Use it in a practice answer
Try "keep an ear to the ground" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.