Definition of headlong
1 : headfirst 1
2 : without deliberation : recklessly rushes headlong into danger
3 : without pause or delay
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Examples of headlong in a Sentence
I dove headlong to the floor.
plunged headlong into the crowd in pursuit of the purse snatcher
Did You Know?
Headlong appeared in Middle English as "hedlong," an alteration of the older "hedling" or "hedlynge." "Hedling" is a combination of the Middle English "hed" ("head") and "-ling," an adverb suffix which means "in such a direction or manner." Thus, "hedling" originally meant "with the head foremost" or, if you will, "in the direction of the head." By the late 1400s, influenced by its use in the compound word endlong, the adjective "long" began to be regarded as a suffix and a variant of "-ling." It was this substitution of "-ling" with "-long" that led to the replacement of words like "sideling" and "headling" with the now more familiar "sidelong" and "headlong."
Origin and Etymology of headlong
Middle English hedlong, alteration of hedling, from hed head
Definition of headlong
1 archaic : steep, precipitous
2 : lacking in calmness or restraint : precipitate a headlong torrent of emotion
3 : plunging headfirst
Examples of headlong in a Sentence
terrified forest creatures in a headlong retreat from the rapidly spreading fire
Recent Examples of headlong from the Web
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Only three weeks after that move, Wanda is in headlong strategic retreat.
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The other murder takes place at the top of a staircase and the camera follows the headlong fall of the blood covered murder victim all the way down the stairs.
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But the headlong push into bachelor’s degrees for all – and the subtle devaluing of anything less – misses an important point: That’s not the only thing the American economy needs.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'headlong.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of headlong
circa 1533
Synonym Discussion of headlong
HEADLONG Defined for English Language Learners
headlong
playDefinition of headlong for English Language Learners
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: with the head leading
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: without taking time to think about your actions
HEADLONG Defined for Kids
Learn More about headlong
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See words that rhyme with headlong Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for headlong Spanish Central: Translation of headlong Nglish: Translation of headlong for Spanish speakers
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