ahead of
ahead of — preposition
1. in a position where a person, object, or vehicle is further forward than another
in a position where a person, object, or vehicle is further forward than another and the other is behind it
A tall man sat ahead of Tamar and blocked his view of the stage.
ahead of [person] — physical position
Ignacio saw the bus stop just ahead of the pharmacy on the left.
Quan walked ahead of his younger sister through the crowded market.
Sofie parked her car ahead of the delivery truck outside the shop.
- in front of
directly interchangeable in most spatial contexts
- behind
opposite spatial position
2. in a better position than another person or team in a competition, race, or elec
in a better position than another person or team in a competition, race, or election, with a higher score or more votes
Caleb was three points ahead of his nearest rival in the chess tournament.
Nicholas scored two goals and put his team ahead of the visitors.
ahead of [opponent] in [sport/competition]
Rachid stayed ahead of the other runners until the final kilometre.
Jiwoo finished the debate one point ahead of the opponent from Seoul.
- leading
used as an adjective rather than a preposition; 'ahead of' requires an object
- behind
trailing in a competition
用法筆記
Often used with a specific number or amount (two goals, five percent, three points) to state the margin of the lead.
3. further along in progress, development, or skill compared to another person, gro
further along in progress, development, or skill compared to another person, group, or expected schedule
Arjun finished the exam twenty minutes ahead of most other students.
Salma's team is far ahead of its competitors in product development.
far ahead of [competitors] in [field]
Amelia reads at a level well ahead of other children her age.
Paloma's science project is months ahead of the rest of the class.
- more advanced than
slightly more formal; interchangeable in progress contexts
- behind
less advanced or making slower progress
用法筆記
Commonly modified by adverbs like 'far', 'well', 'way', or time expressions ('months', 'years') to emphasise the degree of advancement.
4. in or into a time that has not yet arrived, describing events or situations that
in or into a time that has not yet arrived, describing events or situations that will happen later
Dario worried about the difficult months ahead of his family.
months/weeks/days ahead of [someone] — future events
Difficult challenges lay ahead of Eri after her graduation from college.
Sophia looked at the heavy workload ahead of the project team.
Aoi could not predict the changes ahead of the small village.
- in store for
more informal; implies something waiting to happen to someone
用法筆記
Frequently appears in phrases like 'lie(s) ahead of' and 'what is ahead of [someone]' to describe future events, challenges, or opportunities that someone will face.
5. at an earlier point in time compared to a particular event, deadline, or referen
at an earlier point in time compared to a particular event, deadline, or reference point
Nikhil arrived at the airport two hours ahead of the flight departure.
Xiu finished her assignment ahead of the deadline to submit early.
ahead of [deadline/event] — temporal precedence
Renata reached the hotel a day ahead of the conference start date.
Kasia sent the invitations three weeks ahead of the wedding day.
- after
later than a given event or time
用法筆記
Often paired with expressions of duration (two hours, a week, three months) to specify the exact time gap before the event happens.