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.

“She was amazing. I don’t know how she knew what she knew. Maybe she overheard us earlier? She checked on me and introduced me to this guy named Levi. He’s a documentary filmmaker.”

From Literature

Everything I knew about it I had overheard over the years in San Francisco, when she talked with the aunties who visited on occasion to do needlework and drink tea.

From Literature

I can’t imagine there’s a single word of our conversation she didn’t overhear from the kitchen, ear pressed to the door.

From Literature

She says Epstein paid only part of that amount and that she overheard phone calls in which the woman pressured him to pay the remainder.

From BBC

Fink’s father, Constellation Brands incoming Chief Executive Nick Fink, overheard the conversation his son was having on the deck of their vacation rental.

From The Wall Street Journal

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