headfirst

[ hed-furst ]

adverb

1. with the head heads in front or bent forward; headforemost:

   He dived headfirst into the sea.

2. rashly; precipitately.

headfirst

/ ˈhɛdˈfɜːst /

adjective

1. with the head foremost; headlong

   he fell headfirst

adverb

1. rashly or carelessly

Word History and Origins

Origin of headfirst¹

First recorded in 1820–30; head + first

Example Sentences

Now the NFL’s media partners are diving headfirst into betting content.

From Washington Post

One second later, he lost control and he flew forward, crashing headfirst into the grass.

From Washington Post

Shortly after the initial attack, bear and man began rocketing downhill, the bear on top of Pieciul as he slid headfirst.

From Outside Online

Showered with a floral burst of fresh basil leaves right before serving, this fast, mouthwatering dish is yet another reason to dive headfirst into peach season.

From Washington Post

After that, Juno will dive headfirst into Jupiter to formally finish its mission in September 2025.

From MIT Technology Review

And by mercilessly diving headfirst into these exploits, “Discord” discovers a universal truth: no human is human without flaws.

From The Daily Beast

A dive, strictly speaking, means entering the water headfirst.

From The Daily Beast

Suddenly, the scarf (or whatever was attaching it from above) slipped, and she fell onto the concrete headfirst.

From The Daily Beast

And I ran straight at him at full speed and then threw myself into a headfirst slide.

From The Daily Beast

Meanwhile, his two younger brothers have taken the opposite approach, diving headfirst into film roles in the U.S.

From The Daily Beast

Now, what do you think of tumbling headfirst into the center of the disturbance like this?

From Project Gutenberg

What a surprise it would be to an intruder were he literally to fall into our camp headfirst.

From Project Gutenberg

Over it went instantly, and there was a flash of red and blue as the girl was flung headfirst into the river.

From Project Gutenberg

Smooth as a fishing loon, the pup went down headfirst and straight to his objective.

From Project Gutenberg

The painted warrior shot headfirst into the water and dropped as though he had been a stone.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• directly
• head-on
• headlong