ahead
When you're ahead, you're further along or further forward. If you're ahead of all the other runners in a race, you're winning.
The team at the very front of a three-legged race is ahead, and the path that stretches in front of you as you walk through the woods is ahead of you. As well as signifying being physically first or in front, ahead can be used to talk about time: "She had her whole life ahead of her." The word was first used by sailors, to mean "in a forward direction."
Definitions of ahead
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at or in the front
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in a forward direction
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to a more advanced or advantageous position“a young man sure to get ahead”“pushing talented students ahead”
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leading or ahead in a competition“the horse was three lengths ahead going into the home stretch”“ahead by two pawns”
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synonyms:
in the lead, out front
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toward the future; forward in time
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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”“pushed the deadline ahead from Tuesday to Wednesday”
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ahead of time; in anticipation“when you pay ahead (or in advance) you receive a discount”“We like to plan ahead”
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synonyms:
beforehand, in advance
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having the leading position or higher score in a contest“he is ahead by a pawn”
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synonyms:
in the lead, leading
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up
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
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up
Pronunciation
US
/əˈhɛd/
UK
/əˈhɛd/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘ahead'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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