Synonyms

overhear

American

[oh-ver-heer] / ˌoʊ vərˈhɪər /

verb (used with object)

overheard, overhearing

to hear (speech or a speaker) without the speaker's intention or knowledge.

I accidentally overheard what they were saying.

overhear British

/ ˌəʊvəˈhɪə /

verb

(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

Other Word Forms

overhearer noun

Etymology

Origin of overhear

First recorded in 1540–50; over- + hear

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He overheard me arguing with my husband about not having a business plan and leaned over: “You make a product,” he said.

From MarketWatch

Hugo disappeared without trace within days of the conversation I’d overheard.

From Literature

MIAMI—In recent weeks, family members of a group of Cuban dissidents who overheard their making plans to “liberate Cuba” dismissed the talk as the kind of bravado that is common among Cuban-American exiles.

From The Wall Street Journal

Oh, I almost wished I hadn’t overheard them talking!

From Literature

One Iranian man said he overheard his mother and her friend discussing the price of two bundles of spinach—the equivalent of about $28.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023