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
Example Sentences
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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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The first introduced the audience to the cast of the film: Sally Hawkins, playing a kindly foster mother who — as Danny introduced her — might be a psychopath, Billy Barratt and Sora Wong as her two new foster kids, and Jonah Wren Phillips as her younger, troubled foster son.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2025
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In separate filings, the defense is also asking the court to limit the use of the words murder, psychopath and sociopath.—
Michael Ruiz,
Fox News,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Robert Redford delivers folksy wisdom as a local eccentric who once had his own dragon encounter, and even Karl Urban’s greedy logger is more of a nuisance than an outright villain.—
Josh Bell,
Vulture,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Attracting talent for greater innovation hazards acquiring a few eccentrics whose gifts come wrapped in controversial packaging.—
Chip Bell,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
David was always like, ‘But that’s the character, Jim.—
Janelle Ash,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2025
-
The Times checked in with Macht a few weeks later over a video call to discuss the reprising of his character.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
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True leaders are known for building things, fools for destroying them.—
Tom Zirpoli,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Apr. 2025
-
The mix of Greek mythology, robots and mechanical flying scorpions is a little all over the place, but my son was plenty entertained by Scooby and Shaggy’s ability to act like bumbling fools one minute and brave heroes the next.—
Dina Gachman,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
That joke might be fine if everyone in Smash were a maniac.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
11 Apr. 2025
-
And one week after his party homicidal maniacs had started a war that, among a great many other shocking and despicable things, had alienated his daughter from him and from her family and people.—
David Bezmozgis,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Those fans got their wish with a model that's twice the size of the original.—
Matthew Korfhage,
Wired News,
19 Apr. 2025
-
What makes the new formula different from the original?—
Dianna Singh,
Allure,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The second bug patched in iOS 18.4.1 is a flaw in RPAC tracked as CVE-2025-31201 and reported by Apple.—
Kate O'Flaherty,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Teoscar back in the lineup Outfielder Teoscar Hernández will return to the lineup against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday after missing the last two games with a stomach bug.—
Benjamin Royer,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 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 24 Apr. 2025.
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