headlong
Americanadverb
adverb
-
with the head foremost; headfirst
-
with great haste
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of headlong
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English hedlong, earlier hedling; see head, -ling 2
Explanation
Headlong describes something done headfirst, rashly, or really quickly. If you’re the star batter on your baseball team, it’s expected that you'll make a headlong dive for the base. Headlong can refer to hasty actions, but it can also be used more figuratively to describe decisions that are reckless or made in a hurry. Your sister may tend to weigh all the options, but you make headlong decisions. When you decided headlong to move to Florida for a chance to play professionally, your sister thought you’d gone off your rocker — but the day you sign a major contract, she’ll be singing a different tune.
Vocabulary lists containing headlong
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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 moved me deeply to be tossed headlong into Mona’s life, to sit beside someone who, one day, decided that she wanted something else for herself.
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026
Expectations for a deal that establishes guardrails on AI are low on both sides, which continue to drive a headlong race toward potentially unfathomable intelligence capabilities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
As Steinem dove headlong into covering the movement, women’s groups invited her to speak.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
But the race to deploy AI agents is running headlong into a scramble for the chips and energy needed to power them.
From Barron's ● May 6, 2026
Peach fell headlong into Snapfinger Creek which was no longer a creek—it had become a lake.
From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
