HEADLONG Synonyms: 153 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'headlong' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of headlong are abrupt , impetuous , precipitate , and sudden . While all these words mean "showing undue haste or unexpectedness," headlong stresses rashness and lack of forethought. // a headlong flight from arrest

Q: When is 'abrupt' a more appropriate choice than 'headlong'?

The synonyms abrupt and headlong are sometimes interchangeable, but abrupt stresses curtness and a lack of warning or ceremony. // an abrupt refusal

Q: In what contexts can 'impetuous' take the place of 'headlong'?

While the synonyms impetuous and headlong are close in meaning, impetuous stresses extreme impatience or impulsiveness. // an impetuous lover proposing marriage

Q: Where would 'precipitate' be a reasonable alternative to 'headlong'?

In some situations, the words precipitate and headlong are roughly equivalent. However, precipitate stresses lack of due deliberation and implies prematureness of action. // the army's precipitate withdrawal

Q: When would 'sudden' be a good substitute for 'headlong'?

The words sudden and headlong are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sudden stresses unexpectedness and sharpness or violence of action. // flew into a sudden rage

headlong 1 of 2

adjective

ˈhed-ˌlȯŋ

Definition of headlong

as in hurried

acting or done with excessive or careless speed terrified forest creatures in a headlong retreat from the rapidly spreading fire

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

headlong

2 of 2

adverb

ˈhed-ˈlȯŋ

as in hastily

with excessive or careless speed plunged headlong into the crowd in pursuit of the purse snatcher

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in immediately

without delay had barely finished the last project when we went headlong into the next one

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective headlong contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of headlong are abrupt, impetuous, precipitate, and sudden. While all these words mean "showing undue haste or unexpectedness," headlong stresses rashness and lack of forethought.

a headlong flight from arrest

When is abrupt a more appropriate choice than headlong?

The synonyms abrupt and headlong are sometimes interchangeable, but abrupt stresses curtness and a lack of warning or ceremony.

an abrupt refusal

In what contexts can impetuous take the place of headlong?

While the synonyms impetuous and headlong are close in meaning, impetuous stresses extreme impatience or impulsiveness.

an impetuous lover proposing marriage

Where would precipitate be a reasonable alternative to headlong?

In some situations, the words precipitate and headlong are roughly equivalent. However, precipitate stresses lack of due deliberation and implies prematureness of action.

the army's precipitate withdrawal

When would sudden be a good substitute for headlong?

The words sudden and headlong are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sudden stresses unexpectedness and sharpness or violence of action.

flew into a sudden rage

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of headlong

Adjective

After the 25-year headlong casualization of fashion and with the pandemic shift to work from home unwinding, everybody is becoming just a little more formal again, said Sonia Lapinsky, leader of fashion retail and managing director at AlixPartners. — Evan Clark, Footwear News, 24 July 2026 The headlong rush of Na’s bonkers would-be international blockbuster left Cannes alternatively awed, befuddled and thrilled. — ABC News, 18 May 2026

Adverb

But the company’s green ambitions ran headlong into its commercial aims. — Matt Day, Fortune, 9 July 2026 The show was so sure-footed in its initial outing, but has ultimately tumbled headlong into a grease trap of its own making, aiming for pungent but landing on precious. — Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for headlong

Recent Examples of Synonyms for headlong

Adjective

Homemade enchiladas might sound like a laborious weekend project, but with a few clever tricks, this version made with black beans and pumpkin can be whipped up on even the most hurried of work nights.

— Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Oct. 2026
Dooley emphasized the preliminary nature of the ruling and the hurried nature of the litigation preceding it in a short, 12-page decision.

— Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of hurried

Adverb

Did traffickers hastily ditch their extremely valuable cargo, maybe after being spooked by nearby patrols?

— Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
The bug had never come up in testing, and the FIA had to hastily write and then distribute to the teams a software update to solve the problem.

— Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of hastily

Adjective

Critics, including Commissioners Christine King and Damian Pardo, call it a rushed effort that could be paid for with existing tax dollars without asking voters for more.

— Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
The teen’s family has said this was a rushed judgment that did not involve a thorough enough investigation.

— Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026

Definition of rushed

Adverb

Her husband hurriedly shut the door and begged her to see a doctor for a tranquilizer prescription.

— Elvira Navarro, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Antonelli hurriedly informed his race engineer, Peter Bonnington, who had been regularly reminding the Italian to adhere to track limits throughout the race and to look after his car.

— Luke Smith, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of hurriedly

Adverb

After a half hour of miscommunication, Pike was promptly hospitalized and placed on a ventilator.

— David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
Relentlessly enterprising and six feet seven, a literally oversized character, Levandowski had entered an autonomous motorcycle, Ghost Rider, which started the course and promptly fell over.

— Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of promptly

Adjective

The basal ganglia get better at their job during the first thirty years of life; this is partly why kids are more impulsive and restless than adults.

— Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
Low self-control, in contrast, is a core contributing factor to numerous problems, including substance abuse and impulsive buying.

— Joan M. Cook, Time, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of impulsive

Adverb

Moore plays Mona, a meek, thoroughly unseen wife and mother who impulsively decides to audition for a community theater musical despite having no experience.

— Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Rather than ignore anomalies or react impulsively, strategic leaders leverage their instinct to dig deeper, stress-test assumptions and uncover what’s hidden beneath corporate polish.

— David Farbman, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of impulsively

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headlines

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headman

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“Headlong.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headlong. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of headlong

adjective

adverb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Articles Related to headlong

'Precipitous' Does Not Mean "Rainy"

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Cite this Entry

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