headlong

1 of 2

adverb

head·long ˈhed-ˈlȯŋ How to pronounce headlong (audio)

: headfirst sense 1

: without deliberation : recklessly

rushes headlong into danger

: without pause or delay

headlong

2 of 2

adjective

head·long ˈhed-ˌlȯŋ How to pronounce headlong (audio)

archaic : steep, precipitous

: lacking in calmness or restraint : precipitate

a headlong torrent of emotion

: plunging headfirst

Did you know?

Headlong was born out of the Middle English word hedling, a combination of hed ("head") and -ling, an adverb suffix meaning "in such a direction or manner." Thus, hedling meant "with the head first”; it was originally applied to descriptions of falling, or to downward movement. Likely due to the influence of the words along and long, -ling came to be understood as a variant of the adverb suffix -long, a development that carried headlong, as well as sidelong, along with it.

Example Sentences

Adverb I dove headlong to the floor. plunged headlong into the crowd in pursuit of the purse snatcher Adjective terrified forest creatures in a headlong retreat from the rapidly spreading fire

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

After her first year at Radcliffe, Sears dove headlong into the sciences, taking four botany courses and four zoology courses as well as Greek and German.

Catherine Musemeche, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 July 2022 While Saul runs headlong from any shot at redemption, Kim confesses to her crimes and sets the record straight about Howard.

Erik Kain, Forbes, 13 Aug. 2022 Artists such as Taylor Swift and Paul McCartney have been using dynamic pricing for years, but this was the first time music’s most controversial ticketing practice had run headlong into its most ferocious fan base.

Allison Stewart, Anchorage Daily News, 3 Aug. 2022 And apparently that stigma exists even if that person is willing to run headlong into a fire when virtually nobody else wants to.

W. Kamau Bell, CNN, 28 July 2022 That permissiveness among pastors was about to run headlong into a cultural rebellion against the liberal social movements of the 1960s.

Anchorage Daily News, 8 May 2022 That permissiveness among pastors was about to run headlong into a cultural rebellion against the liberal social movements of the 1960s.

Anchorage Daily News, 8 May 2022 My housing search pitched me headlong into a frenzied and undignified reality.

New York Times, 1 June 2022 But while there is an abundance of opportunity, there are just as many pitfalls awaiting the brand brazen enough to plunge headlong into filmmaking without putting the proper pieces in place.

Forbes, 21 Apr. 2022

Adjective

The book could delve further into the strategic consequences of China's headlong embrace of surveillance technologies.

Steven Feldstein, The Courier-Journal, 14 Sep. 2022 This novel, a headlong rush of narrative, introduces Aviva Rosner, a thirty-something musician who desperately wants to have a baby.

Clea Simon, BostonGlobe.com, 14 July 2022 Its judgments are mostly sound, but for all its heft there’s something headlong about it.

Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 30 May 2022 Although Spotify is not by any definition part of news media, its headlong pursuit of podcasts raises issues music (usually) does not.

Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2022 Cutting-edge science is littered with monuments to hubris, impatience, and headlong speed by researchers intent on changing the world.

Stephen S. Hall, Wired, 11 Mar. 2021 Blue Jays center fielder George Springer made the defensive play of the game in the fifth, racing back to the edge of the warning track and ending the inning with a headlong, diving catch of Kevin Plaewcki’s drive.

Ian Harrison, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2022 And that raises the question of exactly how they — and, for that matter, the other headlong advances of A.I. — should be unleashed on the world.

New York Times, 12 Apr. 2022 The tone of the Tenth Symphony is set in a huge, meandering opening movement, which acquires at times a hurtling headlong energy.

Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2022 See More

Kids Definition

headlong 1 of 2

adverb

head·long ˈhed-ˈlȯŋ How to pronounce headlong (audio)

: headfirst

The boys dove headlong into a pile of leaves.

: without waiting to think things through

Don't rush headlong into marriage.

headlong

2 of 2

adjective

ˈhed-ˌlȯŋ

: rash entry 1, impulsive

"I don't rush into things in your headlong way, Anne."

Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea

: plunging headfirst

He made a headlong run for the exit.

headlong 1 of 2

adjective

as in hurried

acting or done with excessive or careless speed terrified forest creatures in a headlong retreat from the rapidly spreading fire

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

hurried
rushed
impulsive
reckless
precipitous
pell-mell
flying
precipitate
sudden
hasty
rash
rapid
swift
overhasty
helter-skelter
cursory
rush
breakneck
makeshift
gadarene
impetuous
spontaneous
abrupt
quick
madcap
drive-by
impatient
breathtaking
impromptu
unadvised
heady
headstrong
speedy
horseback
slapdash
hotheaded
snap
offhand
offhanded
off-the-cuff
spur-of-the-moment

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

deliberate
unhurried
calculated
unrushed
prolonged
circumspect
measured
calculating
slow
leisurely
tentative
faltering
extended
hesitant
forethoughtful
hesitating
foresighted
dallying
laggard
poky
drawn-out
pokey
dawdling
long-term
shilly-shallying

headlong

2 of 2

adverb

as in hastily

with excessive or careless speed plunged headlong into the crowd in pursuit of the purse snatcher

Synonyms & Similar Words

hastily
hurriedly
impulsively
precipitately
rashly
precipitously
headfirst
hotfoot
pell-mell
impetuously
recklessly
cursorily
on the spur of the moment
abruptly
automatically
impatiently
haphazardly
suddenly
headily
spontaneously
thoughtlessly
impromptu
glancingly
hotheadedly
offhandedly
offhand

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

deliberately
designedly
circumspectly
slowly
leisurely
haltingly
hesitatingly
tentatively
hesitantly
falteringly
studiedly
calculatingly

as in immediately

without delay had barely finished the last project when we went headlong into the next one

Synonyms & Similar Words

immediately
promptly
instantly
directly
now
right
away
incontinently
straightaway
straightway
forthwith
quickly
bang
suddenly
at once
shortly
instanter
right off
instantaneously
straight off
right away
soon
right now
pronto
swiftly
abruptly
rapidly
off the bat
plumb
presently
on the double
swift
in no time
fast
on the spot
quick
on a dime
momentarily
impetuously
apace
briskly
freely
recklessly
hastily
speedily
fleetly
rashly
unexpectedly
impulsively
PDQ
posthaste
readily
anon
full tilt
presto
opportunely
punctually
seasonably
snappily
exactly

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

slowly
late
tardily

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of headlong are abrupt, impetuous, precipitate, and sudden. While all these words mean "showing undue haste or unexpectedness," headlong stresses rashness and lack of forethought.

a headlong flight from arrest

The synonyms abrupt and headlong are sometimes interchangeable, but abrupt stresses curtness and a lack of warning or ceremony.

an abrupt refusal

While the synonyms impetuous and headlong are close in meaning, impetuous stresses extreme impatience or impulsiveness.

an impetuous lover proposing marriage

In some situations, the words precipitate and headlong are roughly equivalent. However, precipitate stresses lack of due deliberation and implies prematureness of action.

the army's precipitate withdrawal

The words sudden and headlong are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sudden stresses unexpectedness and sharpness or violence of action.

flew into a sudden rage

单词	headlong
释义	headlong 1 of 2 adverb head·long ˈhed-ˈlȯŋ 1 : headfirst sense 1 2 : without deliberation : recklessly rushes headlong into danger 3 : without pause or delay headlong 2 of 2 adjective head·long ˈhed-ˌlȯŋ 1 archaic : steep, precipitous 2 : lacking in calmness or restraint : precipitate a headlong torrent of emotion 3 : plunging headfirst Did you know? Headlong was born out of the Middle English word hedling, a combination of hed ("head") and -ling, an adverb suffix meaning "in such a direction or manner." Thus, hedling meant "with the head first”; it was originally applied to descriptions of falling, or to downward movement. Likely due to the influence of the words along and long, -ling came to be understood as a variant of the adverb suffix -long, a development that carried headlong, as well as sidelong, along with it. Synonyms Adverb cursorily hastily hotfoot hurriedly pell-mell precipitately precipitously rashly Adjective cursory drive-by flying gadarene hasty helter-skelter hurried overhasty pell-mell precipitate precipitous rash rushed See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Adverb I dove headlong to the floor. plunged headlong into the crowd in pursuit of the purse snatcher Adjective terrified forest creatures in a headlong retreat from the rapidly spreading fire Recent Examples on the Web Adverb After her first year at Radcliffe, Sears dove headlong into the sciences, taking four botany courses and four zoology courses as well as Greek and German. Catherine Musemeche, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 July 2022 While Saul runs headlong from any shot at redemption, Kim confesses to her crimes and sets the record straight about Howard. Erik Kain, Forbes, 13 Aug. 2022 Artists such as Taylor Swift and Paul McCartney have been using dynamic pricing for years, but this was the first time music’s most controversial ticketing practice had run headlong into its most ferocious fan base. Allison Stewart, Anchorage Daily News, 3 Aug. 2022 And apparently that stigma exists even if that person is willing to run headlong into a fire when virtually nobody else wants to. W. Kamau Bell, CNN, 28 July 2022 That permissiveness among pastors was about to run headlong into a cultural rebellion against the liberal social movements of the 1960s. Anchorage Daily News, 8 May 2022 That permissiveness among pastors was about to run headlong into a cultural rebellion against the liberal social movements of the 1960s. Anchorage Daily News, 8 May 2022 My housing search pitched me headlong into a frenzied and undignified reality. New York Times, 1 June 2022 But while there is an abundance of opportunity, there are just as many pitfalls awaiting the brand brazen enough to plunge headlong into filmmaking without putting the proper pieces in place. Forbes, 21 Apr. 2022 Adjective The book could delve further into the strategic consequences of China's headlong embrace of surveillance technologies. Steven Feldstein, The Courier-Journal, 14 Sep. 2022 This novel, a headlong rush of narrative, introduces Aviva Rosner, a thirty-something musician who desperately wants to have a baby. Clea Simon, BostonGlobe.com, 14 July 2022 Its judgments are mostly sound, but for all its heft there’s something headlong about it. Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 30 May 2022 Although Spotify is not by any definition part of news media, its headlong pursuit of podcasts raises issues music (usually) does not. Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2022 Cutting-edge science is littered with monuments to hubris, impatience, and headlong speed by researchers intent on changing the world. Stephen S. Hall, Wired, 11 Mar. 2021 Blue Jays center fielder George Springer made the defensive play of the game in the fifth, racing back to the edge of the warning track and ending the inning with a headlong, diving catch of Kevin Plaewcki’s drive. Ian Harrison, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2022 And that raises the question of exactly how they — and, for that matter, the other headlong advances of A.I. — should be unleashed on the world. New York Times, 12 Apr. 2022 The tone of the Tenth Symphony is set in a huge, meandering opening movement, which acquires at times a hurtling headlong energy. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2022 See More Word History Etymology Adverb Middle English hedlong, alteration of hedling, from hed head First Known Use Adverb 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Adjective circa 1533, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Kids Definition headlong 1 of 2 adverb head·long ˈhed-ˈlȯŋ 1 : headfirst The boys dove headlong into a pile of leaves. 2 : without waiting to think things through Don't rush headlong into marriage. headlong 2 of 2 adjective ˈhed-ˌlȯŋ 1 : rash entry 1, impulsive "I don't rush into things in your headlong way, Anne." Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea 2 : plunging headfirst He made a headlong run for the exit. headlong 1 of 2 adjective as in hurried acting or done with excessive or careless speed terrified forest creatures in a headlong retreat from the rapidly spreading fire Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance hurried rushed impulsive reckless precipitous pell-mell flying precipitate sudden hasty rash rapid swift overhasty helter-skelter cursory rush breakneck makeshift gadarene impetuous spontaneous abrupt quick madcap drive-by impatient breathtaking impromptu unadvised heady headstrong speedy horseback slapdash hotheaded snap offhand offhanded off-the-cuff spur-of-the-moment Antonyms & Near Antonyms deliberate unhurried calculated unrushed prolonged circumspect measured calculating slow leisurely tentative faltering extended hesitant forethoughtful hesitating foresighted dallying laggard poky drawn-out pokey dawdling long-term shilly-shallying See More headlong 2 of 2 adverb 1 as in hastily with excessive or careless speed plunged headlong into the crowd in pursuit of the purse snatcher Synonyms & Similar Words hastily hurriedly impulsively precipitately rashly precipitously headfirst hotfoot pell-mell impetuously recklessly cursorily on the spur of the moment abruptly automatically impatiently haphazardly suddenly headily spontaneously thoughtlessly impromptu glancingly hotheadedly offhandedly offhand Antonyms & Near Antonyms deliberately designedly circumspectly slowly leisurely haltingly hesitatingly tentatively hesitantly falteringly studiedly calculatingly See More 2 as in immediately without delay had barely finished the last project when we went headlong into the next one Synonyms & Similar Words immediately promptly instantly directly now right away incontinently straightaway straightway forthwith quickly bang suddenly at once shortly instanter right off instantaneously straight off right away soon right now pronto swiftly abruptly rapidly off the bat plumb presently on the double swift in no time fast on the spot quick on a dime momentarily impetuously apace briskly freely recklessly hastily speedily fleetly rashly unexpectedly impulsively PDQ posthaste readily anon full tilt presto opportunely punctually seasonably snappily exactly Antonyms & Near Antonyms slowly late tardily Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of headlong are abrupt, impetuous, precipitate, and sudden. While all these words mean "showing undue haste or unexpectedness," headlong stresses rashness and lack of forethought. a headlong flight from arrest The synonyms abrupt and headlong are sometimes interchangeable, but abrupt stresses curtness and a lack of warning or ceremony. an abrupt refusal While the synonyms impetuous and headlong are close in meaning, impetuous stresses extreme impatience or impulsiveness. an impetuous lover proposing marriage In some situations, the words precipitate and headlong are roughly equivalent. However, precipitate stresses lack of due deliberation and implies prematureness of action. the army's precipitate withdrawal The words sudden and headlong are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sudden stresses unexpectedness and sharpness or violence of action. flew into a sudden rage
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headlong

adverb

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

adverb

adjective

adjective

adverb

Synonym Chooser