1
as in psychopath
a person having or showing a severely disordered or abnormal state of mind
brought in a counselor to work with the student they worried might be a head case
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in eccentric
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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
Brown is the foremost head case and headache in the NFL.
—BostonGlobe.com, 10 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
One game Kevin Durant is a head case, the next he’s dialed in.
—Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 June 2018
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
Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2019
Brown is the foremost head case and headache in the NFL.
—BostonGlobe.com, 10 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
One game Kevin Durant is a head case, the next he’s dialed in.
—Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 June 2018
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
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As villains go, Brody was a teddy bear compared to the gout-stricken, carnal-minded, capricious psychopath Lewis plays here on the English throne.—
Taylor Antrim,
Vogue,
20 Mar. 2025
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Everyone’s favorite serial killer psychopath Joe Goldberg is back for one last killing spree — and maybe, finally, a bit of justice — in the new trailer for the fifth and final season of You, which premieres on April 24 on Netflix.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Rachel does a great job conveying such collective endeavors and group dreaming, the whole circumference of people who support bands: friends of friends, drop-of-a-hat designers, stopgap agents, stall owners, dealers, grandparents with record collections, eccentrics without portfolios.—
Ian Penman,
Harper's Magazine,
19 Feb. 2025
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Would love to know what these career eccentrics make of the pomp and pageantry of the Grammys.—
August Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Over time, though, the character began to resemble Warner Bros. Discovery president David Zaslav, who famously sought to permanently shelve projects like Batgirl and Coyote vs. Acme for tax write-offs.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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But after Bonet departed the series following its first season, the focus shifted to characters played by Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison, Dawnn Lewis, Glynn Turman, Cory Tyler, Lou Myers, Darryl M. Bell, Cree Summer, and Charnele Brown.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Historically, betting against bigs who can pass is a fool’s errand.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
-
Here’s the deal: Chasing quick wins is a fool’s errand.—
Jonathan Wagner,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The story was one aspect – a group of friends who encounter a family of cannibals, including the chainsaw-wielding maniac known as Leatherface.—
Borys Kit,
The Hollywood Reporter,
21 Mar. 2025
-
There is no saving the world, no genocidal maniac trying to conquer new realms.—
Rafael Motamayor,
IndieWire,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
On the streaming originals chart, 1923 hit a new weekly viewership high with the debut of Season 2, racking up 676M minutes viewed.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
27 Mar. 2025
-
Stewart famously played Charles Xavier/Professor X and McKellan took on Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto across the X-Men franchise, which launched with the 2000 original.—
Sharareh Drury,
People.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
This collaborative approach reduces bugs, accelerates learning and ensures more efficient code delivery, ultimately speeding up development timelines.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
-
The one-bedroom apartment on Clarkson Avenue has a few things going for it (central air, a huge terrace, no bugs), but his unit also has a washer-dryer combo, leaving him with just one usable closet.—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Texturally, the series is best categorized as a psycho-thriller, but the design of the episodes is never redundant.—
WIRED,
WIRED,
17 Mar. 2023
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Another summer, another hook-wielding psycho killer — and maybe some familiar faces too.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
7 Feb. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Head case.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/head%20case. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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