Ahead
/əˈhɛd/ adv
adv ·Moderate ·High school level
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 having the leading position or higher score in a contest wordnet
Adverb
- 1 At or towards the front; in the direction one is facing or moving. not-comparable
"The island was directly ahead."
- 2 So as to be further advanced, either spatially or in an abstract sense; to be superior. not-comparable
"He finished two laps ahead of me."
- 3 In or for the future. not-comparable
"There may be tough times ahead."
- 4 To a later time. not-comparable
"Set the clock ahead an hour."
- 5 At an earlier time; beforehand; in advance. not-comparable
"He paid his rent ahead."
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- 6 To an earlier time. not-comparable
"Push the deadline ahead a day, from the 21st to the 20th."
Adverb
- 1 at or in the front wordnet
- 2 ahead of time; in anticipation wordnet
- 3 in a forward direction wordnet
- 4 leading or ahead in a competition wordnet
- 5 to a different or a more advanced time (meaning advanced either toward the present or toward the future) wordnet
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- 6 to a more advanced or advantageous position wordnet
- 7 toward the future; forward in time wordnet
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"You can get ahead in the world."
Etymology
From a- + head. Perhaps originally a nautical term, "beyond the head (of a ship)", then drifting into more general English usage where it is used to describe something as being "in front of".