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headless

American  
[hed-lis] / ˈhɛd lɪs /

adjective

  1. without a head.

  2. having the head cut off; beheaded.

  3. having no leader or chief; leaderless.

  4. foolish; stupid.

    a headless argument.


headless British  
/ ˈhɛdlɪs /

adjective

  1. without a head

  2. without a leader

  3. foolish or stupid

  4. prosody another word for catalectic

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of headless

before 1000; Middle English he ( ve ) dles, Old English hēafodlēas. See head, -less

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.

An astronaut makes an appearance, as does a headless man with a lobster.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

After a years-long investigation involving research, scientific testing and statements from now elderly witnesses, the headless statue arrived back in Turkey last year.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

Later on, the contestants had to put their doubts and suspicions aside for the day's challenge - in a creepy room full of headless dummies, which needed their Celebrity Traitor heads reattached.

From BBC • Oct. 30, 2025

As Ambrose Pierce wrote, “Patriotism is as fierce as a fever, pitiless and the grave, blind as a stone and irrational as a headless man.”

From Salon • May 17, 2025

She lay curled on her side, clutching her headless doll.

From "Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson

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