inattentive listening; half-listening; not paying full attention
Describes the state of hearing something without really listening or absorbing it; often implies distraction or lack of focus.
During the meeting, I was half-listening and missed the important points.
I was only half-listening to his story, and it caused trouble later.
Compound of 生 (なま, 'raw, half-hearted') and 聞き (きき, 'listening'), literally 'half-baked listening'.