HEAD CASE Synonyms: 41 Similar and Opposite Words

head case

noun

Definition of head case

as in character

a person of odd or whimsical habits an area of scientific research that's a good niche for social misfits and hard-core head cases

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of head case My question is, with what AB did to the Raiders, Why would Gruden/Mayock want to take another head case like Jalen Ramsey? — Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2019 Whiteside has a reputation of being a bit of a head case, and also, in need of motivation. — oregonlive.com, 1 July 2019 Here’s a toast to both of them, performing in such relevant games after being written off as hopeless head cases earlier in their careers. — Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 May 2018 Grant Goodrich of Cleveland, who heads Case Western Reserve University's Great Lakes Energy Institute, collected $72,192 in the quarter, spent $28,273 and had $48,919 in the bank. — Sabrina Eaton, cleveland.com, 16 Apr. 2018 Then again, the finale may just add to the mystery, and turn not just a few, but every single character into a head case tortured by strange, traumatic visions and memories. — Kristi Turnquist, OregonLive.com, 12 Apr. 2018 Neither of the Aboutaam brothers has been charged with any wrongdoing related to any of these investigations or to the bull’s head case. — Georgi Kantchev, WSJ, 27 Sep. 2017

Recent Examples of Synonyms for head case

Noun

That dichotomy surely reflected, consciously or not on Schubert’s part, the circumstances of his life and contradictions of his character.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
Row 34 is exceptional for its updates to New England seafood that revise original classics without losing their character.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of character

Noun

The public reckonings with these figures’ legacies—the troubled former child star gone too soon, the beloved icon, the cult favorite, the complicated eccentric—have come in a cascade.

— Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
Make sure to practice a full range of motion with these and emphasize the eccentric (the way down) part of the movement for maximal time under tension and muscle-building stimulus.

— Jakob Roze, HEALTH, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of eccentric

Noun

The production’s winking tone blunts some of the original’s tear-jerking climax, yet its intact happy ending offers a surprisingly comforting vision of survival in an age of constant crises.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
The new camera is designed to look like it was pulled directly from the 2000s (rather than the ’80s look of the original), with metallic silver and bubblegum pink options among the blind box shells.

— Jamie Spain, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of original

Noun

While Annie seemed like the odd duck out, her closest, idol-holding ally Alex seemed to be considering Sophi as his target, with the goal of taking out his bromance Jake’s other bestie.

— Nick Caruso, TVLine, 2 Oct. 2025
The Incredible Hulk' (2008) Before ultimately being replaced in other movies by Mark Ruffalo, Edward Norton starred as scientist Bruce Banner in this odd duck from the nascent MCU.

— Brian Truitt, USA Today, 25 July 2025

Definition of odd duck

Noun

In the ever more precarious world of academia, the neck of the principled luddite crank might be particularly attractive when institutions swing the axe in the next round of layoffs.

— Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
In 2022, a group calling itself the America First SOS Coalition endorsed a slate of cranks and quacks who ran for secretary of state in 14 states, including the presidential battlegrounds of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of crank

Noun

The durability of Meloni’s coalition has been a rarity in postwar Italy, where governments often have fallen before the end of their mandates.

— Silvia Stellacci, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
The durability of Meloni’s coalition has been a rarity in postwar Italy, where governments have often fallen before the end of their mandates.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026