headlong
pronunciation
How to pronounce headlong in British English:
UK [ˈhedlɒŋ]
How to pronounce headlong in American English:
US [ˈhedlɔŋ]
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- Adjective:
- excessively quick
- with the head foremost
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- Adverb:
- with the head foremost
- at breakneck speed
- in a hasty and foolhardy manner
Word Origin
- headlong (adv.)
- late 14c., headling, also headlings, "headfirst (downward); headlong (forward); without thinking, hastily," from hed "head" (see head (n.)) + adverbial suffix -ling. Altered by c. 1400 to conform with sidelong, etc. Its true companions are now mostly obsolete: darkling, backling, flatling, etc.
Synonym
instantly speedily rapidly quickly straightaway fast double-quick swiftly promptly directly hurriedly hotfoot
abruptly unwarily heedlessly hastily hurriedly slapdash unexpectedly foolishly impetuously wildly pell-mell precipitately thoughtlessly inopportunely suddenly impulsively impatiently carelessly incautiously recklessly rashly prematurely
premature precipitate foolhardy careless indiscreet incautious sudden thoughtless unwary injudicious abrupt rash heedless hasty reckless brash pell-mell unexpected hurried
Example
- 1. Flush from their mid-term victory , they have flung themselves headlong into the guillotine of fiscal austerity .
- 2. But when he saw them plunge headlong into activity , he laughed aloud and said , " that isn 't action . That 's motion " .
- 3. In britain the clamour for higher education is such that almost half of young people now enroll , and the prospect of having to pay more for the privilege from 2012 is provoking a headlong dash for the ivory towers .
- 4. The country 's three largest banks have expanded headlong abroad since two of them were privatised in 2003 , amassing assets of about 125 billion ( $ 180 billion ) by the end of 2007 , compared with an economy of just 14.5 billion .
- 5. So perhaps by the time the kids of today 's shenzhen grow up there will be a change in the current attitude toward headlong growth .