head-on
adjective
(of two objects) meeting with the fronts or heads foremost.
head-on
American
[hed-on, -awn]
/ ˈhɛdˈɒn, -ˈɔn /
adjective
-
(of two objects) meeting with the fronts or heads foremost.
a head-on collision.
-
facing the direction of forward motion or alignment; frontal.
-
characterized by direct opposition.
a head-on confrontation.
adverb
head-on
British
adverb
-
with the front or fronts foremost
a head-on collision
-
with directness or without compromise
in his usual head-on fashion
head on
Idioms
-
With the face or front first, as in The two bicycles collided head on . [Early 1800s]
-
In direct conflict, in open opposition, as in They decided to meet the opposition head on .
Etymology
Origin of head-on
An Americanism dating back to 1830–40
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
What Monica did, following her instincts, at dinner, I started to do on the page — confront the uncomfortable head-on.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Nvidia's chief financial officer Colette Kress addressed the criticism head-on during the earnings call.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
Post-mortem examinations are to be carried out later on the bodies of five teenage boys killed when their car being driven the wrong way down a motorway in County Kildare collided head-on with another car.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
McElwee refuses to scrub the truth from his personal histories, choosing instead to confront his own regrets head-on.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
Not directly, but coming at it sideways, up and down, around, not head-on, direct.
From "Towers Falling" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
"But he has a good head on his shoulders, is a level kid and hopefully takes it all in his stride."
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Instead of avoiding controversy, he frequently addresses it head on.
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026
The Republican Party faced those issues head on in Chicago between May 16 and May 18.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
“It’s an obvious deficit in our country’s mental health landscape, and I’m grateful that some larger, more established organizations are facing it head on with this initiative.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
She unbuckled her seat belt and scooted over until she was pressed right up next to me, and she laid her head on my shoulder.
From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
