overhear

[ oh-ver-heer ]
See synonyms for: overhearoverheard on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),o·ver·heard, o·ver·hear·ing.
  1. to hear (speech or a speaker) without the speaker's intention or knowledge: I accidentally overheard what they were saying.

Origin of overhear

1
First recorded in 1540–50; over- + hear

Other words from overhear

  • o·ver·hear·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use overhear in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for overhear

overhear

/ (ˌəʊvəˈhɪə) /


verb-hears, -hearing or -heard
  1. (tr) to hear (a person, remark, etc) without the knowledge of the speaker

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012