overhear
English
Etymology
From Middle English *overheren, from Old English oferhīeran (“to overhear, hear, disobey, disregard, neglect”), equivalent to over- + hear. Cognate with Dutch overhoren (“to hear, hear about”), German überhören (“to not hear, ignore”), Danish overhøre (“to overhear”), Icelandic yfirheyra (“to hear”), Gothic *𐌿𐍆𐌰𐍂𐌷𐌰𐌿𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽 (*ufarhausjan, “to disregard, disobey”) (in 𐌿𐍆𐌰𐍂𐌷𐌰𐌿𐍃𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃 (ufarhauseins)).
Pronunciation
- (US) IPA(key): /oʊ.vɚˈhɪɚ/
Audio (RP) (file) - Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)
Verb
overhear (third-person singular simple present overhears, present participle overhearing, simple past and past participle overheard)
- (transitive, intransitive) To hear something that was not meant for one's ears.
- I was hanging clothes in the garden and I overheard the neighbours talking about Sheila's pregnancy.
Synonyms
- eavesdrop
Derived terms
- overhearer
Translations
to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
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