to listen carefully and in a friendly way to someone, especially someone who is telling you about a problem.

If you have any problems, go to Claire. She'll always lend a sympathetic ear.

• make allowances for
• make allowances for someone
• make allowances for something
• make all the difference
• make all the difference in the world
• make all the right noises
• make all the running
• make a long story short
• make a man of
• make a man of someone
• make a man out of
• make a man out of someone
• make a mark
• make a martyr of
• make a martyr of someone
• make a martyr of yourself
• make a meal of
• make a meal of something
• make a meal out of
• make a meal out of something
• make amends
• make a mental note
• make a mess of
• make a mess of something
• make a mockery of