ahead

American  

[uh-hed] / əˈhɛd /

adverb

1. in or to the front; in advance of; before.

   Walk ahead of us.

2. in a forward direction; onward; forward.

   The line of cars moved ahead slowly.

3. into or for the future.

   Plan ahead.

4. so as to register a later time.

   to set the clock ahead.

5. at or to a different time, either earlier or later.

   to push a deadline ahead one day from Tuesday to Monday; to push a deadline ahead one day from Tuesday to Wednesday.

6. onward toward success; to a more advantageous position; upward in station.

   There's a young man who is sure to get ahead.

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idioms

1. ahead of,

   1. in front of; before.

      He ran ahead of me.

   2. superior to; beyond.

      materially ahead of other countries.

   3. in advance of; at an earlier time than.

      We got there ahead of the other guests.

2. be ahead,

   1. to be winning.

      Our team is ahead by two runs.

   2. to be in a position of advantage; be benefiting.

      His score in mathematics is poor, but he's ahead in foreign languages.

ahead British  

/ əˈhɛd /

adjective

1. (postpositive) in front; in advance

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adverb

1. at or in the front; in advance; before

2. onwards; forwards

   go straight ahead

3. 1. in front of; at a further advanced position than

   2. stock exchange in anticipation of

      the share price rose ahead of the annual figures

4. informal  to have an advantage; be winning

   to be ahead on points

5. to advance or attain success

ahead More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing ahead

• come out ahead
• dead ahead
• full speed ahead
• get ahead
• go ahead
• one jump ahead
• quit while one's ahead

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Etymology

Origin of ahead

First recorded in 1590–1600; a- ¹ + head

Example Sentences

At my dad’s exit interview, his counselor advised him to keep Carville a secret so he could avoid the stigma it carried and focus on his life ahead.

From Salon

Looking ahead, Watanabe hopes to apply the zap-and-freeze method to brain tissue collected, with permission, from individuals with Parkinson's disease who are undergoing deep brain stimulation procedures.

From Science Daily

The police evaluation was based primarily on information given to the force by Dutch police commanders ahead of the game, the MPs heard.

From BBC

The three-time Ballon d'Or winner will miss Tuesday's women's Nations League final second leg against Germany and several matches for her club in the weeks ahead.

From Barron's

“While we are not in the AI bubble camp, we don’t think these fears are unfounded,” Calvasina said, adding that they are concerned that play is starting to get ahead of itself.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• advanced
• along
• before
• earlier
• forward