Idioms are like word puzzles in the English language. In this article, we’re diving into idioms related to “head” – not the one on your shoulders, but expressions that use the word “head” to convey different meanings.
Let’s explore these idioms, break down their meanings, and use them in sentences to keep our thoughts on track.
What is an idiom for head?
An idiom is a group of words whose meaning isn’t clear from the individual words themselves. Instead, they have a figurative or hidden meaning.
Idioms are like little secrets that native speakers understand easily. Now, let’s unwrap the idioms related to “head” and understand what they mean.
| Idiom | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Keep a level head | To stay calm and think clearly, especially in difficult or stressful situations | Even during the chaos of the emergency, she managed to keep a level head and provide assistance to those in need. |
| Banging your head against a wall | Trying repeatedly to solve a problem without success | After hours of troubleshooting, he felt like he was banging his head against a wall trying to fix the computer. |
| Head over heels | To be deeply in love or infatuated with someone | They were head over heels in love, and their smiles said it all. |
| Head in the clouds | To be daydreaming or not paying attention to what’s happening around you | During the lecture, he had his head in the clouds, thinking about his upcoming vacation. |
| Head honcho | The person in charge or the leader of a group or organization | The head honcho of the company announced a new project that would transform the business. |
| Head start | An advantage or early beginning in a competition or activity | Their thorough preparation gave them a head start in the competition. |
| Head-scratcher | A problem or puzzle that is difficult to solve or understand | The math problem was a real head-scratcher, and even the teacher had to think it over. |
| Head count | The act of counting people, often to determine a total number | Before the field trip, the teacher took a head count to ensure all students were accounted for. |
| Head case | Someone who behaves strangely or irrationally | He’s a real head case; you never know how he’ll react to different situations. |
| Head to toe | Refers to something that covers the entire body or is comprehensive | She was dressed in a beautiful costume from head to toe for the masquerade ball. |
| Head in the sand | Ignoring or avoiding a problem or unpleasant reality | Turning a blind eye to environmental issues is like burying your head in the sand. |
| Head off at the pass | To prevent a problem or conflict before it escalates | The manager decided to address the issue early and head it off at the pass before it caused more trouble. |
| Head on a platter | To have something or someone presented or offered to you, often in a formal or servile way | He wanted success handed to him on a silver platter, but life doesn’t work that way. |
| Off the top of your head | To provide information or answers without prior thought or research | When asked about her favorite book, she answered off the top of her head, “To Kill a Mockingbird.” |
| Head over to | To go or move to a specific place or location | Let’s head over to the park and enjoy a picnic this afternoon. |
| Head for the hills | To quickly move away from danger or a difficult situation | When the storm approached, everyone decided to head for the hills to seek shelter. |
| Head up the creek | In a difficult or challenging situation without an easy solution | Without a map, we were lost in the forest, and it felt like we were heading up the creek. |
| Head for trouble | To make choices or decisions that are likely to lead to problems or difficulties | Skipping school to go to a party is definitely heading for trouble. |
| Go to your head | When success or praise makes someone become arrogant or conceited | Winning the award shouldn’t go to your head; stay humble. |
| Head on collision | A direct and forceful collision between two objects or vehicles | The head-on collision between the two cars resulted in severe damage. |
| Head for the exit | To leave a place or situation quickly, often because it’s unpleasant or dangerous | When the fire alarm sounded, everyone headed for the exit in a hurry. |
| Head spinning | Feeling overwhelmed or confused by a situation | After hearing the news, her head was spinning, and she couldn’t focus on anything else. |
| Head trip | A psychological journey or experience, often involving altered perceptions or emotions | The art exhibit was a head trip, taking visitors on a surreal journey of the mind. |
| Head held high | To be confident and proud, especially in the face of challenges or criticism | Despite the setbacks, she walked with her head held high, knowing she had given her best effort. |
| Head to head | A direct confrontation or competition between two individuals or groups | The tennis match was a head-to-head battle between the two top-ranked players. |
| Head on straight | To have a clear and rational mindset, making sensible decisions | With a head on straight, he made the right choices and successfully managed his finances. |
| Head out of the clouds | To stop daydreaming and start paying attention to reality | It’s time to get your head out of the clouds and focus on your studies. |
The head is like the command center of the body, directing and orchestrating all of its intricate functions like a skilled conductor leading an orchestra. For more comparisons to describe the head, you can check this link: Similes for head. And for a variety of metaphors related to the head, you can explore this link: Metaphors for head.
Idioms for Head
1. Keep a level head
Meaning: To stay calm and think clearly, especially in difficult or stressful situations.
In a Sentence: Even during the chaos of the emergency, she managed to keep a level head and provide assistance to those in need.
2. Banging your head against a wall
Meaning: Trying repeatedly to solve a problem without success.
In a Sentence: After hours of troubleshooting, he felt like he was banging his head against a wall trying to fix the computer.
3. Head over heels
Meaning: To be deeply in love or infatuated with someone.
In a Sentence: They were head over heels in love, and their smiles said it all.
4. Head in the clouds
Meaning: To be daydreaming or not paying attention to what’s happening around you.
In a Sentence: During the lecture, he had his head in the clouds, thinking about his upcoming vacation.
5. Head honcho
Meaning: The person in charge or the leader of a group or organization.
In a Sentence: The head honcho of the company announced a new project that would transform the business.
6. Head start
Meaning: An advantage or early beginning in a competition or activity.
In a Sentence: Their thorough preparation gave them a head start in the competition.
7. Head-scratcher
Meaning: A problem or puzzle that is difficult to solve or understand.
In a Sentence: The math problem was a real head-scratcher, and even the teacher had to think it over.
8. Head count
Meaning: The act of counting people, often to determine a total number.
In a Sentence: Before the field trip, the teacher took a head count to ensure all students were accounted for.
9. Head case
Meaning: Someone who behaves strangely or irrationally.
In a Sentence: He’s a real head case; you never know how he’ll react to different situations.
10. Head to toe
Meaning: Refers to something that covers the entire body or is comprehensive.
In a Sentence: She was dressed in a beautiful costume from head to toe for the masquerade ball.
11. Head in the sand
Meaning: Ignoring or avoiding a problem or unpleasant reality.
In a Sentence: Turning a blind eye to environmental issues is like burying your head in the sand.
12. Head off at the pass
Meaning: To prevent a problem or conflict before it escalates.
In a Sentence: The manager decided to address the issue early and head it off at the pass before it caused more trouble.
13. Head on a platter
Meaning: To have something or someone presented or offered to you, often in a formal or servile way.
In a Sentence: He wanted success handed to him on a silver platter, but life doesn’t work that way.
14. Off the top of your head
Meaning: To provide information or answers without prior thought or research.
In a Sentence: When asked about her favorite book, she answered off the top of her head, “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
15. Head over to
Meaning: To go or move to a specific place or location.
In a Sentence: Let’s head over to the park and enjoy a picnic this afternoon.
16. Head for the hills
Meaning: To quickly move away from danger or a difficult situation.
In a Sentence: When the storm approached, everyone decided to head for the hills to seek shelter.
17. Head up the creek
Meaning: In a difficult or challenging situation without an easy solution.
In a Sentence: Without a map, we were lost in the forest, and it felt like we were heading up the creek.
18. Head for trouble
Meaning: To make choices or decisions that are likely to lead to problems or difficulties.
In a Sentence: Skipping school to go to a party is definitely heading for trouble.
19. Go to your head
Meaning: When success or praise makes someone become arrogant or conceited.
In a Sentence: Winning the award shouldn’t go to your head; stay humble.
20. Head on collision
Meaning: A direct and forceful collision between two objects or vehicles.
In a Sentence: The head-on collision between the two cars resulted in severe damage.
21. Head for the exit
Meaning: To leave a place or situation quickly, often because it’s unpleasant or dangerous.
In a Sentence: When the fire alarm sounded, everyone headed for the exit in a hurry.
22. Head spinning
Meaning: Feeling overwhelmed or confused by a situation.
In a Sentence: After hearing the news, her head was spinning, and she couldn’t focus on anything else.
23. Head trip
Meaning: A psychological journey or experience, often involving altered perceptions or emotions.
In a Sentence: The art exhibit was a head trip, taking visitors on a surreal journey of the mind.
24. Head held high
Meaning: To be confident and proud, especially in the face of challenges or criticism.
In a Sentence: Despite the setbacks, she walked with her head held high, knowing she had given her best effort.
25. Head to head
Meaning: A direct confrontation or competition between two individuals or groups.
In a Sentence: The tennis match was a head-to-head battle between the two top-ranked players.
26. Head on straight
Meaning: To have a clear and rational mindset, making sensible decisions.
In a Sentence: With a head on straight, he made the right choices and successfully managed his finances.
27. Head out of the clouds
Meaning: To stop daydreaming and start paying attention to reality.
In a Sentence: It’s time to get your head out of the clouds and focus on your studies.
Quizzes About The Idioms in The Article
- What does the idiom “Keep a level head” mean?
a) To have a flat head
b) To stay calm and think clearly
c) To tilt your head to the side - If someone is “Banging their head against a wall,” what are they doing?
a) Trying to solve a problem unsuccessfully
b) Decorating a room with posters
c) Taking a nap against a wall - What does “Head over heels” indicate?
a) Being physically upside down
b) Being deeply in love or infatuated with someone
c) Being in a bad mood - When someone has their “Head in the clouds,” what are they likely doing?
a) Focusing on their work
b) Daydreaming or not paying attention
c) Practicing a new hairstyle - Who is the “Head honcho” in a group or organization?
a) The person who fetches coffee
b) The leader or person in charge
c) The newest member of the team - What advantage does having a “Head start” give you in a competition?
a) You start the race with your head covered
b) You begin early, giving you an advantage
c) You start the race with a head full of ideas - What does the term “Head-scratcher” describe?
a) A type of hat
b) A problem or puzzle that is difficult to solve
c) A type of haircut - When is a “Head count” typically done?
a) During a math class
b) To determine the number of people
c) When counting the number of apples in a basket - What does it mean when someone is referred to as a “Head case”?
a) They have a unique hairstyle
b) They behave strangely or irrationally
c) They have a good sense of humor - What does “Head to toe” mean?
a) Refers to something that covers the entire body or is comprehensive
b) Describes someone with a very tall head
c) Suggests someone is thinking too much
Answers:
- b) To stay calm and think clearly
- a) Trying to solve a problem unsuccessfully
- b) Being deeply in love or infatuated with someone
- b) Daydreaming or not paying attention
- b) The leader or person in charge
- b) You begin early, giving you an advantage
- b) A problem or puzzle that is difficult to solve
- b) To determine the number of people
- b) They behave strangely or irrationally
- a) Refers to something that covers the entire body or is comprehensive
Conclusion
Idioms related to “head” may not involve the one on your shoulders, but they certainly add flavor to the English language. By understanding these expressions, you’ll keep your thoughts on the right track and navigate conversations with ease.
