overhead

1 of 3

adverb

over·​head ˌō-vər-ˈhed 

: above one's head : aloft

overhead

2 of 3

adjective

over·​head ˈō-vər-ˌhed 

1

a

: operating, lying, or coming from above

b

: having the driving part above the part driven

valves operated by an overhead camshaft

2

: of or relating to overhead

overhead costs

overhead

3 of 3

noun

over·​head ˈō-vər-ˌhed 

1

: business expenses (such as rent, insurance, or heating) not chargeable to a particular part of the work or product

2

: ceiling

especially : the ceiling of a ship's compartment

3

: a stroke in a racket game made above head height : smash

Synonyms of overhead

Adverb

• upward
• above
• over

Examples of overhead in a Sentence

Adverb

A chandelier hung directly overhead.

People were making noise in the balcony overhead.

Noun

Her company has very little overhead.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Reach the arms overhead, gently firm the glutes and engage the abdomen to protect the lower back. —Patrick Franco, CNBC, 15 Jan. 2026

Ropes course guests must be at least 4 feet tall, able to reach 70 inches straight up with your arm fully extended overhead, and weigh less than 275 pounds. —Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026

Adjective

That offering uses data visualizations, advanced stats and an all-22 overhead camera angle. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026

The end-to-end support is designed to allow designers to focus on creativity, rather than logistics or overhead expenses. —Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 12 Jan. 2026

Noun

Online silver and gold dealers often undercut local coin shops on pricing due to having higher volume and lower overhead. —Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026

But for stationary storage cycling every day, that overhead is predictable and manageable—unlike the safety risks associated with thermal runaway in large lithium-ion installations. —Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 6 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1682, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing overhead

• overhead projector

Rhymes for overhead

• abovesaid
• aforesaid
• arrowhead
• casinghead
• copperhead
• figurehead
• fountainhead
• gingerbread
• hammerhead
• infrared
• leatherhead
• letterhead

Kids Definition

overhead

1 of 3 adverb

over·​head ˌō-vər-ˈhed 

: above one's head : aloft

geese flying overhead

overhead

2 of 3 adjective

over·​head ˈō-vər-ˌhed 

1

: operating or lying above

an overhead door

2

: of or relating to business expense

overhead

3 of 3 noun

over·​head ˈō-vər-ˌhed 

1

: general business expenses (as rent, heat, or insurance)

2

: a stroke in a racket game made above head height : smash

Legal Definition

overhead

noun

over·​head ˈō-vər-ˌhed 

: business expenses (as rent or insurance) not chargeable to a particular part of the work or product