headlong

[ hed-lawng, -long ]
See synonyms for headlong on Thesaurus.com
adverb
  1. with the head foremost; headfirst: to plunge headlong into the water.

  2. without delay; hastily: to plunge headlong into work.

  1. without deliberation; rashly: to rush headlong into battle.

adjective
  1. undertaken quickly and suddenly; made precipitately; hasty: a headlong flight.

  2. rash; impetuous: a headlong denunciation.

  1. done or going with the head foremost: a headlong dive into the pool.

Origin of headlong

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English hedlong, earlier hedling; see head, -ling2

Other words from headlong

  • headlongness, noun

Words that may be confused with headlong

Words Nearby headlong

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use headlong in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for headlong

headlong

/ (ˈhɛdˌlɒŋ) /


adverb, adjective
  1. with the head foremost; headfirst

  2. with great haste

adjective
  1. archaic (of slopes, etc) very steep; precipitous

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012