Word
headlong
Phoneticshead·long, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈhɛdˌɫɔŋ/
UK/hˈɛdlɒŋ/
Definition
adj. happening very quickly and without thinking about the possible dangers. You use this to describe a rush into something that might be risky.
adj. characterised by a lack of caution or foresight; proceeding rapidly and recklessly. Often used to describe a plunge into a dangerous or difficult situation.
Examples
“The company made a headlong rush into the new market.”
“The young couple made a headlong plunge into marriage without considering the financial challenges they would face.”
“The government's headlong pursuit of rapid industrialisation led to significant environmental degradation that would take decades to reverse.”
Examples
simple
“The company made a headlong rush into the new market.”
contextual
“The young couple made a headlong plunge into marriage without considering the financial challenges they would face.”
complex
“The government's headlong pursuit of rapid industrialisation led to significant environmental degradation that would take decades to reverse.”
Real-World Examples
“They were swept headlong in a whirlwind romance, and PK took Lotta to his village in the east of India to meet his family.” “We are, as per, thrown headlong into a niche and tangentially Scottish military world where a murder has occurred.” Etymology
From Middle English hedlong, alteration of hedling, heedling, hevedlynge (“headlong”), assimilated to long. More at headling.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/headlong