deadhead

1 of 2

noun

dead·​head ˈded-ˌhed 

1

: one who has not paid for a ticket

2

: a dull or stupid person

3

: a partially submerged log

4

Deadhead : a devoted fan of the rock group the Grateful Dead

The bond between the [Grateful] Dead and the Deadheads was extraordinary.

—Bill Barich

5

gardening : a faded blossom on a flowering plant

Pansies are still available for late spring bloom. Keep deadheads off.

—Edith Henderson

deadhead

2 of 2

verb

deadheaded; deadheading; deadheads

intransitive verb

1

: to make especially a return trip without a load

2

: to deadhead a plant

transitive verb

: to remove the faded flowers of (a plant) especially to keep a neat appearance and to promote reblooming by preventing seed production

Synonyms

Noun

• airhead
• birdbrain
• blockhead
• bonehead
• bubblehead
• chowderhead
• chucklehead
• clodpoll
• clodpole
• clot [British]
• cluck
• clunk
• cretin
• cuddy [British dialect]
• cuddie
• dim bulb [slang]
• dimwit
• dip
• dodo
• dolt
• donkey
• doofus [slang]
• dope
• dork [slang]
• dullard
• dum-dum
• dumbbell
• dumbhead
• dummkopf
• dummy
• dunce
• dunderhead
• fathead
• gander
• golem
• goof
• goon
• half-wit
• hammerhead
• hardhead
• idiot
• ignoramus
• imbecile
• jackass
• know-nothing
• knucklehead
• lamebrain
• loggerhead [chiefly dialect]
• loon
• lump
• lunkhead
• meathead
• mome [archaic]
• moron
• mug [chiefly British]
• mutt
• natural
• nimrod [slang]
• nincompoop
• ninny
• ninnyhammer
• nit [chiefly British]
• nitwit
• noddy
• noodle
• numskull
• numbskull
• oaf
• pinhead
• prat [British]
• ratbag [chiefly Australian]
• saphead
• schlub [slang]
• shlub
• schnook [slang]
• simpleton
• stock
• stupe
• stupid
• thickhead
• turkey
• woodenhead
• yahoo
• yo-yo

Examples of deadhead in a Sentence

Noun

people knew that he was a deadhead and voted for him anyway

Verb

She's out in the garden deadheading the rosebushes.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Regardless of the animal, Weir has been a sharp observer of Dead & Company’s residency at the Sphere, capturing her dad, Bob Weir, with his band, along with the many Deadheads who’ve flocked to Las Vegas this summer to experience some psychedelic magic. —Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 10 Aug. 2024

The psychedelic icon continued to draw Deadheads to concerts until the month before his death – and his bandmates toured afterward for decades. —Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 9 Aug. 2024

Verb

The new flowers hide old, spent blooms which eventually drop their petals, so there is no need to deadhead. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 11 July 2024

With their sticky foliage and stems, petunias have never been an enjoyable plant to deadhead. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 11 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1911, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1