overhear

verb
UK: /ˌəʊvəˈhɪə/
US: /ˌoʊvərˈhɪr/

  1. To hear something accidentally when you are not intended to.

    1. I didn't mean to overhear your conversation.
    2. She couldn't help but overhear what they were saying about her promotion.

  2. To accidentally hear a conversation that was meant to be private.

    1. I overheard them talking about the surprise party.
    2. Walking past the office, I happened to overhear a heated discussion about budget cuts.

Synonyms

eavesdrop
overhear noun

  1. Act of hearing something unintentionally.

    1. The overhear of their secret was a complete accident.
    2. Due to the thin walls, frequent overhears were common in the apartment building.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "overhear" in English means: To hear something accidentally when you are not intended to., To accidentally hear a conversation that was meant to be private..

The phonetic transcription of "overhear" is /ˌəʊvəˈhɪə/ in British English and /ˌoʊvərˈhɪr/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "overhear": eavesdrop.

Example usage of "overhear": "I didn't mean to overhear your conversation.". More examples on the page.