overhear

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /oʊ.vɚˈhɪɚ/ See IPA manual

Freq #19581

Meanings

1

verb
To hear something that you were not meant to hear, usually by accident.

I overheard them planning a surprise party for her.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to hear something that you... catch

Word family

Forms overheardoverhearingoverhears

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)).

overheren Middle English oferhīeran Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# overhear

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /oʊ.vɚˈhɪɚ/
**Frequency rank:** 19581

## Meanings
1. To hear something that you were not meant to hear, usually by accident.

## Examples
- I overheard them planning a surprise party for her.

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: overheren
- Root: oferhīeran

## 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)).

## AI Etymology
Overhear comes 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)). The historical chain includes Middle English overheren and Old English oferhīeran. Modern senses include to hear something that you were not meant to hear, usually by accident.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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