2
: without deliberation : recklessly
rushes headlong into danger
3
: without pause or delay
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.
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
Don Shiner, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2025
In recent months, the fight over the minimum wage has run headlong into the crisis over the city budget, which relies each year on more than $300 million in hotel tax revenue to pay for basic services such as police, firefighters and paramedics.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2025
Ellise Shafer, Variety, 7 May 2025
In his headlong rush to replace Pax Americana with America First, Mr. Trump has left the world fumbling to adjust to a new landscape, the contours of which are still in flux.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for headlong
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Adverb
Bill chewed his cigar nervously and hung on to the rod for dear life as the fish dashed headlong into a bed of weeds.
—Don Shiner, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2025
In recent months, the fight over the minimum wage has run headlong into the crisis over the city budget, which relies each year on more than $300 million in hotel tax revenue to pay for basic services such as police, firefighters and paramedics.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2025
Adjective
In his headlong rush to success, an oddball comedian abandons his most loyal allies.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 7 May 2025
In his headlong rush to replace Pax Americana with America First, Mr. Trump has left the world fumbling to adjust to a new landscape, the contours of which are still in flux.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for headlong
Cite this Entry
“Headlong.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/headlong. Accessed 19 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
headlong
1 of 2 adverb
head·long
ˈhed-ˈlȯŋ 
1
2
: without careful thought : recklessly
headlong
2 of 2 adjective1
: lacking in calmness or restraint : rash
headlong flight
2
: plunging headfirst
a headlong dive
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