headless
Americanadjective
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without a head.
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having the head cut off; beheaded.
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having no leader or chief; leaderless.
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foolish; stupid.
a headless argument.
adjective
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without a head
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without a leader
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foolish or stupid
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prosody another word for catalectic
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.
It contained several digital distortions, including a headless agent.
From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026
The centrepiece of the show is "Unmanned Drone" – a completely reconstructed sculpture of Stonewall Jackson by artist Kara Walker, who transformed the horse and its rider heading into battle into a headless, zombie-like creature.
From BBC • Oct. 19, 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
I think that’s a bit like examining funny-looking moles on a headless body: real things, but not the main problem.
From Slate • Nov. 5, 2024
My father has eaten everything on his plate and is digging for more stuffing in the cavity of the turkey, which resembles a trussed, headless baby.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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.
