English Reference

Word

headline

Phoneticshead·line

US/ˈhɛdˌɫaɪn/

UK/hˈɛdlaɪn/

Definitions

01news title

B1

n. the title of a newspaper or magazine article, usually printed in large, bold letters.

n. the heading or title of a journalistic piece, designed to summarise the content and attract reader attention.

“The front-page headline announced that the local team had won the championship.”

“Sub-editors often spend hours crafting a punchy headline that balances factual accuracy with the need to drive digital engagement.”

02main attraction

B2 · Theatre

n. the most important person or group performing at an event.

n. the principal performer or act in a programme, typically receiving the most prominent billing.

“Fans waited for hours in the rain to see the festival headline.”

“The festival organisers struggled to find a suitable headline after the original rock band cancelled their European tour.”

Synonyms

Antonyms

03to be the main act

B2 · Music

v. to be the main performer at a concert or show.

v. to appear as the star or main attraction of a performance; functions as both a transitive and intransitive verb.

“A famous jazz singer will headline the charity concert next month.”

“After years of playing small clubs, the indie band was finally invited to headline the main stage at Glastonbury.”

Synonyms

Antonyms

04nautical rope

C2 · Science

n. a rope used on a ship to attach a sail to a wooden pole.

n. a headrope used in a nautical context to secure the head of a sail to a yard or stay.

“The sailor checked the headline to make sure the sail was secure.”

“The crew worked quickly to repair the frayed headline before the storm winds could tear the mainsail from the yard.”

Technical

Usage

Used specifically in maritime and sailing contexts.

Synonyms

headrope

Etymology

From head + line.

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

Collocations

headlines near the top

Word family

headlineNounheadlinerNoun

Domains

NauticalPrinting

This entry

Level
B1 · Intermediate
Frequency
Common
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/headline

English Reference