headless
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
missing a head, like a statue or a body.
lacking a physical head; often used in historical or artistic contexts.
Simple“The museum displayed a headless statue from the Roman era.”
In context“The headless torso of the marble sculpture suggests it was damaged during the city's fall centuries ago.”
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
describing a group or organization that does not have a leader.
lacking a leader, chief, or governing head.
Simple“The company was headless for months after the CEO suddenly resigned.”
In context“The rebellion remained a headless movement, failing to coordinate its efforts due to the lack of a central authority.”
SynonymsleaderlessunmanagedAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
a computer or software that works without a screen or keyboard.
referring to a computer system or software application that operates without a graphical user interface or attached peripheral devices.
Simple“We set up a headless server in the basement to store all our files.”
In context“Running the browser in headless mode allows developers to perform automated testing without the overhead of a visual interface.”
Synonymsautomatedserver side - 04 C2 Proficiency
a phrase that does not have a main word that gives it its meaning.
describing a construction or phrase that lacks a head morpheme or word that determines its grammatical category.
Simple“The teacher explained how a headless phrase works in this sentence.”
In context“In theoretical linguistics, the analysis of headless relative clauses remains a subject of significant debate regarding syntactic structure.”
SynonymsexocentricAntonyms - 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
a glass of beer or another drink that has no bubbles or foam on top.
lacking a head of foam, typically in reference to carbonated beverages like beer.
Simple“He complained to the bartender when he was served a headless pint of ale.”
In context“The beer was poured too slowly, resulting in a headless glass that looked unappealing to the customer.”
SynonymsAntonymsfrothy
From Middle English heedles, hevedles, from Old English hēafodlēas (“headless”), equivalent to head + -less. Cognate with Dutch hoofdloos (“headless”), Danish hovedløs (“headless”), Swedish huvudlös (“headless”), Icelandic höfuðlaus (“headless”). Piecewise doublet of chefless and chiefless.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.