ahead

adverb or adjective

ə-ˈhed 

1

a

: in a forward direction or position : forward

b

: in front

2

: in, into, or for the future

plan ahead

3

: in or toward a more advantageous position

helped others to get ahead

4

: at or to an earlier time : in advance

make payments ahead

5

a

: in or into a leading position in a race or competition

a politician who is running ahead in most polls

Josh Carter scored from a yard out and the Pride added a two-point conversion to surge ahead 14-7.

—Cumberland (Maryland) Times-News

b baseball

(1)

of a pitcher : in or into the situation of having thrown more strikes than balls to a batter

Home run threat Mark Reynolds was up next with the bases loaded, but Colon quickly got ahead 1-2 in the count and struck the third baseman out swinging with a … fastball.

—Ray Monell

(2)

of a batter : in or into the situation of having a count of more balls than strikes

Albert Pujols got ahead 3-1 and then lined one into the seats in left for his 20th home run of the year and second of the series.

—John Fay

Synonyms

• afore [chiefly dialect]
• already
• antecedently
• anteriorly
• before
• beforehand
• earlier
• formerly
• preliminarily
• previously

Examples of ahead in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

If Israel presses ahead with its apparent determination to launch a ground offensive to root out Hamas in Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city, the humanitarian catastrophe could escalate. —Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024

In the end, both moviegoers and theaters came out ahead. —Lydia Depillis Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024

State Police Commissioner Joseph A. Childs gave the estimates as weary rescue workers moved steadily ahead, digging through the debris and smashed homes in search of more victims. —Jerome Hansen, Jack Schermerhorn, Ralph Nelson and Ken McCormick, Detroit Free Press, 6 Apr. 2024

Some 100 yards straight ahead stood a 3,500-pound hippopotamus, staring squarely in our direction. —Alexandra Kirkman, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2024

The dissonance of the message — go ahead and wage total war, but try to do so humanely — was apparent. —Karen Deyoung, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024

Coachella generally releases maps of the festival grounds and parking in the days before the festival, so plan ahead and download the app. —Vanessa Franko, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024

The Australian Government has detailed its top business trends for 2024, highlighting the focus areas for those businesses looking to get and stay ahead. —Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2024

So people went ahead and bought homes there, even though Rio Verde Foothills lies beyond the reach of Scottsdale’s pipe systems, and the groundwater isn’t plentiful enough for all residents to access wells. —Daniel Rothberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1568, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing ahead

• ahead of one's time
• ahead of time
• ahead of one's/its time
• are/keep/stay one jump ahead
• move ahead/along
• lie ahead
• pull ahead
• ahead of schedule
• ahead of the curve
• a/one step ahead of
• light-years ahead
• look ahead
• go-ahead
• full steam/speed ahead
• dead ahead
• go ahead with (something)
• straight-ahead
• ahead of
• the go-ahead
• plow ahead
• streets ahead of
• stay/keep ahead of the field
• ahead of the game
• think ahead
• received/got the go-ahead
• going full speed ahead
• get ahead
• given the go-ahead

Kids Definition

ahead

adverb or adjective

ə-ˈhed 

1

: in or toward the front

the road ahead

go ahead

2

: in, into, or for the future

think ahead

3

: in or toward a better position

came out $20 ahead on the deal

4

: at or to an earlier time : in advance

make payments ahead