English Reference

Word

headbutt

Phoneticshead·butt

US/ˈhɛdbʌt/

UK/hˈɛdbʌt/

Definition

v. to hit someone or something hard using the top of your head. You usually see this in sports or fights when someone moves their head forward quickly to strike.

v. to strike a person or object with the forehead or the top of the head. Often used in the context of physical altercations or specific contact sports.

Examples

“He tried to headbutt the ball into the goal.”

“The player was sent off the field after he attempted to headbutt an opponent during a heated argument.”

“Security footage revealed the suspect leaning forward to headbutt the glass door in a desperate attempt to escape the building before the police arrived.”

Examples

simple

“He tried to headbutt the ball into the goal.”

contextual

“The player was sent off the field after he attempted to headbutt an opponent during a heated argument.”

complex

“Security footage revealed the suspect leaning forward to headbutt the glass door in a desperate attempt to escape the building before the police arrived.”

Usage

The verb is transitive and takes a direct object.

Real-World Examples

“Abdul was ruled to have headbutted England boxer Damar Thomas as the pair grappled during the third round of their fight.”
BBC Sport · 29 Jul 2026
“A man has been sentenced to three years in prison after he headbutted another individual, resulting in a brain hemorrhage for the victim.”
BBC News · 11 Mar 2025
“Newcastle United have fined manager Alan Pardew £100,000 and given him a formal warning for headbutting Hull City midfielder David Meyler.”
BBC Sport · 11 Mar 2014

Etymology

From head + butt.

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

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/headbutt

English Reference