English Reference
Idiom idiom

head to toe


Entirely; completely; over one's full body.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

The child was covered in mud from head to toe.

CONTEXTUAL

After the heavy rain, the hikers arrived at the station soaked from head to toe.

COMPLEX

Dressed in an elaborate costume from head to toe, the actor transformed completely into the historical character for the opening night performance.


From Middle English *heved to þe ton*, recorded as early as the late 14th century. The construction follows a standard Germanic pattern of spatial orientation, substituting the anatomical extremities for the whole of the subject.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    bang one's head against a brick wall

    To waste effort on a futile project.

  2. 02

    bang some heads together

    Attempt to get results from a previously ineffectual or argumentative group, typically by coercion or force.

  3. 03

    bash someone's head

    To beat up someone violently.

  4. 04

    big head

    An inflated ego, an exaggerated belief in one's own importance.

  5. 05

    bite someone's head off

    To severely berate someone.

  6. 06

    blow someone's head off

    To shoot someone in the head.

  7. 07

    bury one's head in the sand

    To deliberately ignore the reality of a situation; to pretend a problem does not exist.

  8. 08

    butt heads

    To argue uncompromisingly.

Last updated August 10, 2026