overhear
gb/ˈoʊvɚhˈɪɹ/ us/ˈoʊvɚhˈɪɹ/
B2
English
véletlenül meghall, kihallgat
VERB
B2
1
Usage pattern:
overhear [someone] (doing) [something]; overhear [something]
I overheard two coworkers talking about a surprise party.
Véletlenül meghallottam, hogy két munkatársam egy meglepetéspartiról beszélgetett.
She overheard him say her name and stopped to listen.
Véletlenül meghallotta, hogy kimondja a nevét, és megállt figyelni.
We could overhear the neighbors arguing through the wall.
Learner examples
I overheard them talking in the hallway.
Véletlenül meghallottam, hogy a folyosón beszélgetnek.
He overheard a phone call.
Véletlenül meghallott egy telefonbeszélgetést.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *overhear* to mean “hear clearly” or “hear over noise”; it means hearing something that was not directed at you.
Meaning
hear by chance, not intended
Collocations
overhear a conversation
|overhear someone talking
|overhear someone say (that)
|overhear a remark
|overhear a comment
|overhear an argument
|overhear gossip
|happen to overhear
|overhear a private discussion
|overhear through the wall
Synonyms
happen to hear (Highlights that it was accidental.)
|
catch (Common with 'catch someone saying' and suggests hearing part of it.)
Antonyms
miss (Fail to hear something that was said.)
|
ignore (Choose not to pay attention to what you can hear.)
Themes
communication
|daily_life
|social
|listening
Definition
To hear someone talking by accident.
To hear something that someone says without intending to, especially when it is not meant to be heard by you.
VERB
C1
2
kihallgat
B2
Usage pattern:
overhear [someone] (doing) [something]; overhear [something]
He stayed behind the curtain to overhear their plans.
A függöny mögött maradt, hogy kihallgassa a terveiket.
She overheard their discussion and later told the manager.
Kihallgatta a beszélgetésüket, és később elmondta a vezetőnek.
I didn’t mean to, but I overheard something I wasn’t supposed to know.
Learner examples
He tried to overhear their secret.
Megpróbálta kihallgatni a titkukat.
She overheard their plan.
Kihallgatta a tervüket.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with *eavesdrop*; *overhear* can be less explicit about intention, while *eavesdrop* strongly implies deliberate secret listening.
Meaning
hear secretly while not addressed
Collocations
overhear a secret
|overhear private details
|overhear what they were saying
|overhear a plan
|overhear a confession
|overhear them discussing
|overhear the truth
|overhear a deal
Synonyms
eavesdrop (More clearly intentional and secret.)
|
listen in (Informal; emphasizes secretly listening to a conversation.)
Antonyms
speak openly (Opposite idea: not trying to keep speech private.)
|
share (Tell information directly rather than being heard indirectly.)
Themes
communication
|social
|privacy
Definition
To listen quietly and hear what others say when they do not know.
To hear what someone is saying while you are not part of the conversation, often by listening quietly on purpose.
Grammar
Dictionary form
overhear
IPA
GB/ˈoʊvɚhˈɪɹ/
US/ˈoʊvɚhˈɪɹ/
Syllables & stress
over - hear (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (over)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: overhear
- 3rd Person Singular: overhears
- Present Participle: overhearing
- Past: overheard
- Past Participle: overheard
Word family
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.