HEADLONG Synonyms: 153 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'headlong' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of headlong are abrupt , impetuous , precipitate , and sudden . While all these words mean "showing undue haste or unexpectedness," headlong stresses rashness and lack of forethought. // a headlong flight from arrest

Q: When is 'abrupt' a more appropriate choice than 'headlong'?

The synonyms abrupt and headlong are sometimes interchangeable, but abrupt stresses curtness and a lack of warning or ceremony. // an abrupt refusal

Q: In what contexts can 'impetuous' take the place of 'headlong'?

While the synonyms impetuous and headlong are close in meaning, impetuous stresses extreme impatience or impulsiveness. // an impetuous lover proposing marriage

Q: Where would 'precipitate' be a reasonable alternative to 'headlong'?

In some situations, the words precipitate and headlong are roughly equivalent. However, precipitate stresses lack of due deliberation and implies prematureness of action. // the army's precipitate withdrawal

Q: When would 'sudden' be a good substitute for 'headlong'?

The words sudden and headlong are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sudden stresses unexpectedness and sharpness or violence of action. // flew into a sudden rage

headlong 1 of 2

adjective

ˈhed-ˌlȯŋ

Definition of headlong next

as in hurried

acting or done with excessive or careless speed terrified forest creatures in a headlong retreat from the rapidly spreading fire

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

headlong

2 of 2

adverb

ˈhed-ˈlȯŋ

as in hastily

with excessive or careless speed plunged headlong into the crowd in pursuit of the purse snatcher

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in immediately

without delay had barely finished the last project when we went headlong into the next one

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective headlong contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of headlong are abrupt, impetuous, precipitate, and sudden. While all these words mean "showing undue haste or unexpectedness," headlong stresses rashness and lack of forethought.

a headlong flight from arrest

When is abrupt a more appropriate choice than headlong?

The synonyms abrupt and headlong are sometimes interchangeable, but abrupt stresses curtness and a lack of warning or ceremony.

an abrupt refusal

In what contexts can impetuous take the place of headlong?

While the synonyms impetuous and headlong are close in meaning, impetuous stresses extreme impatience or impulsiveness.

an impetuous lover proposing marriage

Where would precipitate be a reasonable alternative to headlong?

In some situations, the words precipitate and headlong are roughly equivalent. However, precipitate stresses lack of due deliberation and implies prematureness of action.

the army's precipitate withdrawal

When would sudden be a good substitute for headlong?

The words sudden and headlong are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sudden stresses unexpectedness and sharpness or violence of action.

flew into a sudden rage

Examples Sentences

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Recent Examples of headlong

Adjective

On the other side are those who argue that the headlong pursuit of marketization has seen the party lose its sense of purpose and created unsustainable levels of inequality and corruption. —

Peter Martin, Foreign Affairs, 3 June 2014 In Yorgos Lanthimos’s new film, a woman brought back from the dead embarks on a headlong pursuit of desire and knowledge. —

Christine Smallwood, The New York Review of Books, 21 Dec. 2023

Adverb

Arsenal rushed headlong into an unexpected title race in August 2022, led the Premier League by seven points in the December, then burned out — winning only twice in eight matches across April and May — and finished five points behind serial champions Manchester City. —

Jordan Campbell, The Athletic, 11 Aug. 2024 Talk about throwing yourself headlong into something — what gave you the confidence to go after that role? —

Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for headlong

Recent Examples of Synonyms for headlong

Adjective

The holiday season can be a hurried, slightly stressful time as the countdown to Christmas morning begins.

Rai Mincey, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Briskly paced, de Jonge’s movie covers a lot of ground both tonal and geographic without ever seeming hurried, conspicuously touristic or heavy-handed in its mix of humor and pathos.

Dennis Harvey, Variety, 27 Nov. 2024