Ahead — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adverb or adjective adverb adjective /ə-ˈhed/

Meaning & Definition of Ahead

Ahead (adverb or adjective)

  1. in a forward direction or position, forward
  2. in front
  3. in, into, or for the future

Ahead (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. so as to precede something in order of time

    "call ahead for reservations"

    similar: afore (chiefly dialect), already, antecedently, anteriorly, before, beforehand, earlier, formerly, preliminarily, previously, in advance
    related: a priori, early, prematurely, first, first off, now, before long, erelong (archaic), presently, shortly, soon
    opposite: after, afterward, later
    near: behind, by and by, next, subsequently

  2. toward a point ahead in space or time

    "sent me ahead to get a place in the check-out line while she went to get the eggs and milk"

    similar: forth, forward, on, onward
    near: backward

  3. toward or at a point lying in advance in space or time

    "the line moved ahead at a snail's pace"

    similar: along, forth, forward, forwards, on, onward
    related: before, fore, frontward
    near: back, backward, behind, rearward

Ahead (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in early, previous

    similar: early, former, preceding, previous, prior, basic, elementary, fundamental, premonitory, warning, introducing, prefacing, preparing, readying, beginning, introductory, precursory, prefatory, prelim, preliminary, prelusive, preparative, preparatory, primary
    opposite: after, behind, following, subsequent

Related Entry: Ahead of (preposition)

Ahead of is a different word from Ahead. The synonyms below are for ahead of, not for ahead.

  1. earlier than

    "always arrives at school ahead of the bus"

    "we were cautioned not to fill out any of the test answers ahead of time"

    similar: afore (chiefly dialect), before, ere, fore (chiefly dialect), of, previous to, prior to, to, in advance of
    related: till, until, up to
    opposite: after, following
    near: next, next to, since

  2. preceding in space

    "the three lost children emerged from the forest, with the family dog walking proudly ahead of them"

    similar: afore (chiefly dialect), before, fore (chiefly dialect), in advance of, in front of
    related: against
    opposite: after, following

Related Entry: Go-ahead (noun)

Go-ahead is a different word from Ahead. The synonyms below are for go-ahead, not for ahead.

  1. an ambitious person who eagerly goes after what is desired

    "a born go-ahead, he was determined to be the first in his family to graduate from college"

    similar: bootstrapper, go-getter, highflier, hummer, hustler, live wire, powerhouse, self-starter
    related: eager beaver, achiever, comer, doer, enterpriser, he-man, individualist
    near: dawdler, idler, loafer, lounger, putterer, trifler, goldbrick, malingerer, procrastinator, shirker, slacker, drone, lazybones, sluggard, dallier, laggard, lingerer, loiterer, slowpoke, stick-in-the-mud, ignorer, ne'er-do-well, neglecter, daydreamer, dreamer, dropout, quitter

Related Entry: Full steam ahead (phrase)

Full steam ahead is a different word from Ahead. The synonyms below are for full steam ahead, not for ahead.

  1. with all power or resources being used

    "Now that the research is mostly done we can move full steam ahead with the next phase of the project."

    similar: all out, full blast, full tilt, tooth and nail, in full career, like crazy, to the hilt
    related: completely, comprehensively, detailedly, exhaustively, fully, minutely, roundly, thoroughly, totally, extremely, utterly

Related Entry: Get ahead (phrase)

Get ahead is a different word from Ahead. The synonyms below are for get ahead, not for ahead.

  1. to reach a desired level of accomplishment

    "a recent college graduate trying to get ahead in the working world"

    similar: arrive, flourish, prosper, succeed, thrive, come into one's own, cut it, cut the mustard, get somewhere, get there, hack it, hit it big, make good, make it, make one's mark, make the grade
    related: prevail, triumph, win, excel
    opposite: fail
    near: flounder, struggle

Related Entry: Got ahead (phrase)

Got ahead is a different word from Ahead. The synonyms below are for got ahead, not for ahead.

  1. to reach a desired level of accomplishment

    "a recent college graduate trying to get ahead in the working world"

    similar: arrived, flourished, prospered, succeeded, thrived, came into one's own, cut it, cut the mustard, got somewhere, got there, hacked it, hit it big, made good, made it, made one's mark, made the grade
    related: prevailed, triumphed, won, excelled
    opposite: failed
    near: floundered, struggled

Related Entry: Gets ahead (phrase)

Gets ahead is a different word from Ahead. The synonyms below are for gets ahead, not for ahead.

  1. to reach a desired level of accomplishment

    "a recent college graduate trying to get ahead in the working world"

    similar: arrives, flourishes, prospers, succeeds, thrives, comes into one's own, cuts it, cuts the mustard, gets somewhere, gets there, hacks it, hits it big, makes good, makes it, makes one's mark, makes the grade
    related: prevails, triumphs, wins, excels
    opposite: fails
    near: flounders, struggles

Related Entry: Getting ahead (phrase)

Getting ahead is a different word from Ahead. The synonyms below are for getting ahead, not for ahead.

  1. to reach a desired level of accomplishment

    "a recent college graduate trying to get ahead in the working world"

    similar: arriving, flourishing, prospering, succeeding, thriving, coming into one's own, cutting it, cutting the mustard, getting somewhere, getting there, hacking it, hitting it big, making good, making it, making one's mark, making the grade
    related: prevailing, triumphing, winning, excelling
    opposite: failing
    near: floundering, struggling

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Ahead

The most common words with a similar meaning to Ahead:

Chiefly dialect: afore
already, antecedently, anteriorly, before, beforehand, earlier, formerly, preliminarily, previously, forth, forward, on, onward, along, forwards, in advance, early, former, preceding, previous, prior, basic, elementary, fundamental, premonitory, warning, introducing, prefacing, preparing, readying, beginning, introductory, precursory, prefatory, prelim, preliminary, prelusive, preparative, preparatory, primary

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Ahead

Words with the opposite meaning of Ahead:

after, afterward, later, behind, following, subsequent

Related Words for Ahead

a priori, prematurely, first, first off, now, before long, erelong, presently, shortly, soon, fore, frontward

Near Antonyms of Ahead

by and by, next, subsequently, backward, back, rearward

Origin & Etymology of Ahead

First known use: 1568

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Ahead

Words & Phrases Containing Ahead

ahead of, ahead of one's/its time, ahead of one's time, ahead of schedule, ahead of the curve, ahead of the game, ahead of time, get ahead

Frequently Asked Questions about Ahead

What does "Ahead" mean?

"Ahead" means in a forward direction or position, forward. As an an adverb or adjective, an adverb and an adjective, it is defined as: in a forward direction or position, forward. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Ahead"?

Other words for "Ahead" include afore, already, antecedently, anteriorly, before, beforehand, earlier and formerly. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Ahead" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Ahead"?

There are 53 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Ahead". Common alternatives include afore, already, antecedently, anteriorly, before, beforehand, earlier, formerly, preliminarily and previously.

What is the opposite of "Ahead"?

Antonyms of "Ahead" include after, afterward, later, behind, following and subsequent. Near antonyms include by and by, next, subsequently and backward.

How do you use "Ahead" in a sentence?

Examples of "Ahead" in a sentence: "call ahead for reservations"; "sent me ahead to get a place in the check-out line while she went to get the eggs and milk"; "the line moved ahead at a snail's pace".

Is "Ahead" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Ahead" can be used as an adverb or adjective, an adverb and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Ahead" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Ahead" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Ahead"?

"Ahead" is pronounced /ə-ˈhed/.