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

“Looking ahead, we are investing in exciting new initiatives across our brands to extend audience reach, grow new revenue streams, and deliver attractive financial returns,” he added.

From The Wall Street Journal

Best Buy said it saw a return to positive same-store sales during fiscal 2026 but projected weak growth for the year ahead as it expects consumers to continue hunting for value.

From The Wall Street Journal

Best Buy’s earnings beat was enough to please investors, who had low expectations ahead of the retailer’s quarterly results.

From The Wall Street Journal

The new flagship store in West Hollywood is both a return to its California roots and an envisioning of its future still ahead.

From Los Angeles Times

“Therefore, we see incremental risk that demand slows into the launch of the 18-series particularly if consumers increasingly pre-buy devices ahead of potential memory driven price increases,” the analysts say.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• advanced
• along
• before
• earlier
• forward