ahead

adverb

Simple meaning

Toward the future.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

uhhehd

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice

IPA pronunciation (US)

əˈhɛd

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

adverb

At or towards the front; in the direction one is facing or moving.
“I see the lights of a town ahead.”
So as to be further advanced, either spatially or in an abstract sense; to be superior.
To a different or a more advanced time (meaning advanced either toward the present or toward the future)
“Moved the appointment ahead from Tuesday to Monday.”
Toward the future; forward in time
“I like to look ahead in imagination to what the future may bring.”
At an earlier time; beforehand; in advance.
Ahead of time; in anticipation

Word at a Glance

Difficulty: A2 · Elementary
Frequency: Common
Typical Use: Everyday English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: At or towards the front; in the direction one is facing or moving.

Used this way, ahead is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Heard in a sentence

“I see the lights of a town ahead.”

Emotional tone: Neutral
Formality: Neutral
Intensity: Not strongly marked
How common: Common
Connotation: No strong connotation
Usage feel: Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

How It’s Used

The word’s distinct uses, one example each.

Further / differentadverb
“Moved the appointment ahead from Tuesday to Monday.”
Towardsadverb
“I see the lights of a town ahead.”

More ways to use ahead

“The horse was three lengths ahead going into the home stretch.”adverb
“I see the lights of a town ahead.”adverb
“I like to look ahead in imagination to what the future may bring.”adverb

Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

straight aheadfar aheadwell ahead

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Similar Words, What’s the Difference?

Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.

forward
In the direction in which someone or something is facing.
in front
At or in the front.
onward
In a forward direction.
onwards
In a forward direction.
forwards
At or to or toward the front.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

ahead of the gameadverbCompound term
In an advantageous position.
ahead of timeadverbCompound term
Before the usual time or the time expected.
dead aheadadverbCompound term
Exactly ahead or in front.
get aheadverbCompound term
Obtain advantages, such as points, etc.
go-aheadnounCompound term
A signal to proceed.
plow aheadverbCompound term
Proceed (with a plan of action).

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.