verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
US:/oʊ.vɚˈhɪɚ/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɪə(ɹ)
CMU ARPABET:OW1 V ER0 HH IY1 R
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To hear something that was not meant for one's ears.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: ambitransitive
Examples
I was hanging clothes in the garden and I overheard the neighbours talking about Sheila's pregnancy.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
hear, usually without the knowledge of the speakers
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
We overheard the conversation at the next table
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: catch, take in
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: hear
History
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)).
Across languages
Translations
31 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Asturian:
tresoyer
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Bulgarian:
дочувам
(dočuvam)
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Danish:
overhøre
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Dutch:
luistervinken
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Esperanto:
hazarde aŭdi
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Esperanto:
kaŝe aŭdi
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Esperanto:
subaŭskulti
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Finnish:
kuulla sattumalta
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Finnish:
kuulla vahingossa
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Finnish:
sattua kuulemaan
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
German:
zufällig mit anhören
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
German:
aufschnappen
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
German:
mitbekommen
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
German:
mitkriegen
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Hungarian:
véletlenülhall (meg)
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Italian:
origliare
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Macedonian:
наслушува
(naslušuva)
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Macedonian:
наслушнува
(naslušnuva)
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Norwegian:
overhøre
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Polish:
podsłuchiwać
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Polish:
podsłuchać
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Portuguese:
ouvir por acaso
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Portuguese:
escutar sem querer
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Russian:
подслу́шивать
(podslúšivatʹ)
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Russian:
подслу́шать
(podslúšatʹ)
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Russian:
случа́йно услы́шать
(slučájno uslýšatʹ)
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Serbo-Croatian:
načuti
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Serbo-Croatian:
nasluhnuti
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Swedish:
överhöra
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Swedish:
råka höra
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
Vietnamese:
nghe lén
— to hear something that wasn't meant for one's ears
