hammerhead

noun

ham·​mer·​head ˈha-mər-ˌhed 

1

: the striking part of a hammer

2

: blockhead

3

: any of a family (Sphyrnidae) of active voracious medium-sized sharks that have the eyes at the ends of lateral extensions of the flattened head see shark illustration

Synonyms

• airhead
• birdbrain
• blockhead
• bonehead
• bubblehead
• chowderhead
• chucklehead
• clodpoll
• clodpole
• clot [British]
• cluck
• clunk
• cretin
• cuddy [British dialect]
• cuddie
• deadhead
• 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
• 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 hammerhead in a Sentence

we despair of ever getting those hammerheads to buckle their seat belts without prodding

Recent Examples on the Web

World Wildlife Fund symbolic species adoptions ($60+) cover everything from hammerhead sharks to arctic wolves. —Simon Hill, WIRED, 7 Dec. 2023

Tiger sharks, hammerheads, bull sharks and makos can be found swimming in the waters, according to Florida Shark Diving, a tour operator. —Tom Howarth follow, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024

Latin America is known to be a global hub for small hammerhead shark species, and Sphyrna alleni ranges from Belize to Brazil. —Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024

Periods of heavy rain in Houston drew out a rash of invasive and toxic hammerhead flatworms. —Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 29 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

hammerhead

noun

ham·​mer·​head ˈham-ər-ˌhed 

: any of various active sharks of medium size that have the eyes at the ends of sideward extensions of the flattened head