overhear
gb/ˈoʊvɚhˈɪɹ/ us/ˈoʊvɚhˈɪɹ/
B2
Anglais
Sens
0 sens
Verbe
B2
action
1
hear by chance, not intended
To hear someone talking by accident.
Schéma d’usage :
overhear [someone] (doing) [something]; overhear [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes use *overhear* to mean “hear clearly” or “hear over noise”; it means hearing something that was not directed at you.
Synonymes
happen to hear (Highlights that it was accidental.)
|
catch (Common with 'catch someone saying' and suggests hearing part of it.)
Antonymes
miss (Fail to hear something that was said.)
|
ignore (Choose not to pay attention to what you can hear.)
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
Thèmes
communication
|daily_life
|social
|listening
Exemples
- I overheard two coworkers talking about a surprise party.
- She overheard him say her name and stopped to listen.
- We could overhear the neighbors arguing through the wall.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I overheard them talking in the hallway.
- He overheard a phone call.
Verbe
C1
action
2
hear secretly while not addressed
To listen quietly and hear what others say when they do not know.
Schéma d’usage :
overhear [someone] (doing) [something]; overhear [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may confuse this with *eavesdrop*; *overhear* can be less explicit about intention, while *eavesdrop* strongly implies deliberate secret listening.
Synonymes
eavesdrop (More clearly intentional and secret.)
|
listen in (Informal; emphasizes secretly listening to a conversation.)
Antonymes
speak openly (Opposite idea: not trying to keep speech private.)
|
share (Tell information directly rather than being heard indirectly.)
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
Thèmes
communication
|social
|privacy
Exemples
- He stayed behind the curtain to overhear their plans.
- She overheard their discussion and later told the manager.
- I didn’t mean to, but I overheard something I wasn’t supposed to know.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He tried to overhear their secret.
- She overheard their plan.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
overhear
API
GB/ˈoʊvɚhˈɪɹ/
US/ˈoʊvɚhˈɪɹ/
Syllabes et accentuation
over - hear (2 syllabes)
Stress on 1st syllable (over)
Formes du mot
Verb
- Base: overhear
- 3rd Person Singular: overhears
- Present Participle: overhearing
- Past: overheard
- Past Participle: overheard
Famille de mots
Expressions
Aucune expression n’est encore associée à cette entrée.