# beheaded

/bɪˈhɛdɪd/ (US) · /bɪhˈɛdɪd/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/beheaded
Updated: 2026-05-07

## Definition

having the head cut off. It describes someone or something that has been killed or separated from its head.

For teachers: having had the head severed from the body. Often used as a participial adjective to describe historical figures or statues.

## Examples

- The museum displays a beheaded statue from ancient Rome.
- Historical records show that the queen was beheaded after being found guilty of treason.
- The archaeologists discovered a series of beheaded figurines, suggesting that the ancient civilization practiced a ritualistic destruction of their idols during times of political transition.

## Usage notes

- Often follows a linking verb like 'was' or 'appeared'; can also be used as the past participle of the verb 'behead'.

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