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headspace

American  
[hed-speys] / ˈhɛdˌspeɪs /
Or head space

noun

  1. Informal. mental state; state of mind: He creates such profoundly rich creative universes, it truly feels like you enter a completely different headspace when you watch his shows.

    Doomscrolling all day puts me in a really bad headspace, so I try to stay away from all that negative news.

    He creates such profoundly rich creative universes, it truly feels like you enter a completely different headspace when you watch his shows.

  2. Informal. quiet, private, or contemplative mood or frame of mind: I never listen to music when I’m jogging, since I run for headspace as much as for exercise.

    I spend a lot of the weekend in my own headspace, so I can’t really engage with anything much.

    I never listen to music when I’m jogging, since I run for headspace as much as for exercise.

  3. headroom.

  4. empty space left above the contents of a closed jar, can, or other container.


Etymology

Origin of headspace

First recorded in 1800–10; head ( def. ) + space ( def. )

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:

Some of the most powerful people on Earth still behave like they’re stuck in that headspace.

From Los Angeles Times May 28, 2026

"The die was cast, it pushed him into a headspace where he didn't feel the same as anybody else," she said.

From BBC May 26, 2026

So I’m not saying it will be easy, but I do think it will save you money and help you start this new chapter in a clearer headspace.

From MarketWatch Feb. 23, 2026

This air, or "headspace," was then sampled and analyzed for ethanol content.

From Science Daily Dec. 1, 2025

But on the other, she must be in a really good headspace if she’s willing to take it.

From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas

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