ahead
- 01 A2 Elementary
at or towards the front; in the direction you are moving.
positioned in front of the subject or in the direction of travel.
Simple“The road ahead was blocked by a fallen tree after the storm.”
In context“The scouts moved cautiously, scanning the dense undergrowth for any sign of the trail that lay somewhere ahead in the mist.”
- 02 B1 Intermediate
happening at a later time.
referring to a point in time that has not yet occurred.
Simple“We need to plan for the difficult months ahead.”
In context“Looking at the decade ahead, economists predict a significant shift toward renewable energy infrastructure across the continent.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
further advanced or having a better score than someone else.
occupying a superior position in a competition or a more advanced stage of development.
Simple“Our team was two points ahead with only a minute left in the game.”
In context“The company remains years ahead of its competitors in terms of battery efficiency and manufacturing speed.”
- 04 B1 Intermediate
before a specific time or event happens.
occurring at an earlier time than something else; beforehand.
Simple“If you finish your work ahead of time, you can leave early.”
In context“The project was completed three weeks ahead of schedule, allowing the marketing team to launch the campaign during the peak holiday season.”
UsageOften used in the phrase 'ahead of schedule' or 'ahead of time'.
SynonymsAntonyms
Usage ahead of time · ahead of national
From a- + head. Perhaps originally a nautical term, "beyond the head (of a ship)", then drifting into more general English usage where it is used to describe something as being "in front of".
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.