headlong

1 of 2

adverb

head·​long ˈhed-ˈlȯŋ 

1

: headfirst sense 1

2

: without deliberation : recklessly

rushes headlong into danger

3

: without pause or delay

headlong

2 of 2

adjective

head·​long ˈhed-ˌlȯŋ 

1

archaic : steep, precipitous

2

: lacking in calmness or restraint : precipitate

a headlong torrent of emotion

3

: plunging headfirst

Did you know?

Headlong was born out of the Middle English word hedling, a combination of hed ("head") and -ling, an adverb suffix meaning "in such a direction or manner." Thus, hedling meant "with the head first”; it was originally applied to descriptions of falling, or to downward movement. Likely due to the influence of the words along and long, -ling came to be understood as a variant of the adverb suffix -long, a development that carried headlong, as well as sidelong, along with it.

Synonyms

Adverb

• hastily
• hurriedly
• impulsively
• precipitately

Adjective

• hurried
• rushed
• impulsive
• reckless
• precipitous
• sudden
• hasty
• rash
• overhasty

Choose the Right Synonym for headlong

precipitate, headlong, abrupt, impetuous, sudden mean showing undue haste or unexpectedness.

precipitate stresses lack of due deliberation and implies prematureness of action.

the army's precipitate withdrawal

headlong stresses rashness and lack of forethought.

a headlong flight from arrest

abrupt stresses curtness and a lack of warning or ceremony.

an abrupt refusal

impetuous stresses extreme impatience or impulsiveness.

an impetuous lover proposing marriage

sudden stresses unexpectedness and sharpness or violence of action.

flew into a sudden rage

Examples of headlong in a Sentence

Adverb

I dove headlong to the floor.

plunged headlong into the crowd in pursuit of the purse snatcher

Adjective

terrified forest creatures in a headlong retreat from the rapidly spreading fire

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

The team should have declined, should have been more deliberate about its approach to the horses, the scrumming together, the picking up of the dummy goat, but instead the guys flew into action like true American cowboys: headlong and about to get hurt. —Will Grant, Outside Online, 11 June 2025

Discounting any of the various potential paradoxes and possible multiversal implications of the deed, Jeb Bush leapt headlong into this hypothetical (take your pick) DeLorean, phone booth, Tardis, or Wellsian steampunk contraption with a knife in hand. —Jack Butler, National Review, 8 June 2025

Adjective

This momentary pause, this saving interruption of the headlong, breathless trajectory of rape or murder, admitted a kind of compassion, pity, even tenderness, halting injustice in its tracks. —Sarah Beckwith, New Yorker, 26 May 2025

But swirling around it are immigration restrictions, headlong and haphazard reductions in Federal spending and a separate but related confidence shock weighing on consumer behavior. —Michael Santoli, CNBC, 22 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English hedlong, alteration of hedling, from hed head

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

circa 1533, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for headlong

• agung
• along
• belong
• birdsong
• furlong
• headstrong
• lifelong
• plainsong
• prolong
• sarong
• tanjong
• weeklong

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Kids Definition

headlong

1 of 2 adverb

head·​long ˈhed-ˈlȯŋ 

1

: headfirst

2

: without careful thought : recklessly

headlong

2 of 2 adjective

1

: lacking in calmness or restraint : rash

headlong flight

2

: plunging headfirst

a headlong dive