Earshot is the distance within which you can hear someone speaking. If your friend is within earshot, you can hear what they're saying. If they move out of earshot, their voice becomes too faint to understand.

Think of sound as traveling only so far before it fades away. When your mom calls you for dinner and you're upstairs with your door closed, you might be out of earshot and genuinely not hear her.

People often use this word when they're being careful about privacy. You might wait until your little brother is out of earshot before telling your friend about his birthday surprise. Teachers sometimes speak quietly to avoid being overheard by students within earshot. The phrase within earshot is common: “Don't say anything embarrassing while she's still within earshot!”

The exact distance of earshot depends on how loudly someone speaks and how quiet the surroundings are. In a noisy cafeteria, earshot might be just a few feet. In a silent library or on a calm morning outdoors, you might hear someone clearly from fifty feet away.