ahead

[ uh-hed ]

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.

ahead

/ əˈhɛd /

adjective

1. postpositive in front; in advance

adverb

1. at or in the front; in advance; before
2. onwards; forwards

   go straight ahead

3. ahead of
   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. be ahead informal.
   to have an advantage; be winning

   to be ahead on points

5. get ahead
   to advance or attain success

Word History and Origins

Origin of ahead¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; a- ¹ + head

Idioms and Phrases

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.

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

Example Sentences

From a personal finance perspective, consider being mindful of what's happening with tariffs and be prepared to change consumption if prices start to rise, without getting too ahead of yourself in terms of anticipatory overspending.

From Salon

Some saw that as promoting and supporting Trump ahead of the US election.

From BBC

He has a long road ahead, but he says, “I just get it done.”

From Los Angeles Times

If he goes ahead and introduces tariffs - a tax imposed by one country on the goods and services imported from another - it could lead to a rise in prices, including in the UK, economists say.

From BBC

"The government needs to think bigger: this is a problem that requires a cultural shift, and also requires legislation to be one step ahead of, rather than behind, technology," she said.

From BBC

Related Words

• advanced
• along
• before
• earlier
• forward