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Synonyms of 'head'

head

Explore 'head' in the dictionary
1 (noun) 
Definition
the upper or front part of the body that contains the brain, eyes, mouth, nose, and ears
She turned her head away from him.
Synonyms
skull
crown
pate
bean (US, Canadian, slang)
nut (slang)
Kit shot up, hitting his nut on the roof.
loaf (slang)
cranium
conk (slang)
noggin
He's got a lump on his noggin but he'll live.
noddle (informal, mainly British)
2 (noun) 
Definition
a person's mind and mental abilities
He was more inclined to use his head.
Synonyms
mind
an excellent training for the young mind
reasoning
understanding
They have to have a basic understanding of computers.
thought
sense
When he was younger he had a bit more sense.
brain
The eye grows independently of the brain.
brains (informal)
intelligence
She's a woman of exceptional intelligence.
wisdom
a woman respected for her wisdom and insight
wits
common sense
loaf (British, informal)
You've got to use your loaf in this game.
intellect
Do the emotions develop in parallel with the intellect?
rationality
grey matter
brainpower
They say ginseng boosts your brainpower.
mental capacity
3 (noun) 
Definition
a person's mind and mental abilities
I don't have a head for business.
Synonyms
ability
Her drama teacher spotted her ability.
mind
I'm trying to clear my mind of all this.
talent
Both her children have a talent for music.
capacity
Our capacity for giving care, love and attention is limited.
faculty
a faculty for self-preservation
flair
She has a flair for languages.
mentality
aptitude
He discovered an aptitude for working in accounts.
4 (noun) 
Definition
the most forward part of a thing
the head of the queue
Synonyms
front
Stand at the front of the line.
beginning
top
The US will be at the top of the medals table.
first place
fore
no damage in the fore part of the ship
forefront
They are at the forefront of the campaign.
5 (noun) 
his familiar position at the head of his field
Synonyms
forefront
cutting edge
vanguard
Students have been in the vanguard of revolutionary change.
van
6 (noun) 
Definition
the highest part of a thing
the head of the stairs
Synonyms
top
I came down alone from the top of the mountain.
crown
We stood on the crown of the hill.
summit
the first man to reach the summit of Mount Everest
height
From a height, it looks like a desert.
peak
the snow-covered peaks of the Alps
crest
He reached the crest of the hill.
pinnacle
He had reached the pinnacle of his career.
apex
She led me up a gloomy corridor to the apex of the pyramid.
vertex
the vertex of the triangle
7 (noun) 
(informal) 
full of admiration for the head and teachers
Synonyms
head teacher
One of the photos must be signed by your head teacher.
principal
the principal of the local high school
headmaster or headmistress
8 (noun) 
Definition
the person commanding most authority within a group or an organization
heads of government from more than 100 countries
Synonyms
leader
the leader of the Conservative Party
president
director
He is the director of the unit.
manager
a retired bank manager
chief
The new leader is the deputy chief of the territory's defence force.
boss (informal)
He cannot stand his boss.
captain
He is a former English cricket captain.
master
My master ordered me to deliver the message.
premier
commander
The commander and some of his troops had been released.
principal
the principal of the company
supervisor
a full-time job as a supervisor at a factory
superintendent
superintendent of the bank's East African branches
chieftain
sherang (Australian, New Zealand)
I am in touch with the head sherang at both sites
9 (noun) 
Definition
a culmination or crisis
These problems came to a head in September.
Synonyms
climax
Reaching the Olympics was the climax of her career.
crisis
The anxiety that had been building within him reached a crisis.
turning point
The vote marks something of a turning point in the war.
culmination
This week's events are the culmination of a long-running row between the two countries.
end
His big scene comes towards the end of the film.
conclusion
Executives said it was the logical conclusion of the process.
tipping point
10 (noun) 
the head of the river
Synonyms
source
This gave me a clue as to the source of the problem.
start
She demanded to know why she had not been told from the start.
beginning
rise
origin
theories about the origin of life
commencement
All applicants should be at least 16 years of age at the commencement of this course.
well head
11 (noun) 
Definition
a headland or promontory
a ship off the beach head
Synonyms
headland
The headland south of Coolum has walking trails.
point
a long point of land reaching southwards into the sea
cape
voyages of exploration round the Cape
promontory
a promontory jutting out into the bay
foreland
12 (noun) 
Definition
a headline or heading
Synonyms
heading
There, under the heading of wholesalers, he found it.
class
the relationship between different social classes
department
He worked in the sales department.
subject
It was I who first raised the subject of moving to Canada.
division
the sales division
section
She was in the dairy section of the supermarket.
branch
He had a fascination for submarines and joined this branch of the service.
category
The entries were organised into six different categories.
topic
They offer tips on topics such as home safety.
(adjective) 
I had the head man out from the gas company.
Synonyms
chief
Financial stress is acknowledged as a chief reason for divorce.
The job went to one of his chief rivals.
main
My main concern now is to protect the children.
leading
Britain's future as a leading industrial nation depends on investment.
first
The first priority for development is to defeat inflation.
highest
front
He is the front runner for the star role.
prime
Political stability is a prime concern.
premier
the country's premier opera company
supreme
He proposes to make himself the supreme overlord.
principal
Their principal concern is that of winning the next election.
arch
foremost
He was one of the world's foremost scholars.
pre-eminent
He is the pre-eminent political figure in the country.
topmost
the topmost branches of a gigantic oak tree
1 (verb) 
Definition
to be at the front or top of
The parson, heading the procession, had just turned right.
Synonyms
lead
He led him into the house.
precede
Alice preceded them from the room.
be the leader of
be or go first
be or go at the front of
lead the way
2 (verb) 
Definition
to be at the front or top of
Running a business heads the list of ambitions among interviewees.
Synonyms
top
What happens if the socialists top the poll?
lead
Tom was leading, a rifle slung over his back.
crown
A rugged castle crowns the cliffs.
cap
home-made scones capped with cream
3 (verb) 
Definition
to be in charge of
He heads the department's Office of Civil Rights.
Synonyms
be in charge of
run
His father ran a prosperous business.
manage
Within two years, he was managing the store.
lead
He led the country between 1949 and 1984.
control
He now controls the largest retail development empire in southern California.
You should not let other people control you.
rule
the feudal lord who ruled this land
direct
She will direct day-to-day operations.
guide
She guided the plane down the runway and took off.
command
the French general who commands the UN troops in the region
govern
They go to the polls on Friday to choose the people they want to govern their country.
supervise
One of his jobs was supervising the dining room.

idioms

See do your head in
See from head to foot
See get something into your head
See go over your head
See go to your head

Phrasal verbs

See head for something or someone
See head over heels
See head someone off
See head something off
See head something up
See keep your head
See lose your head
See off your head
See put your heads together

related words

technical name caput
related adjectives capital cephalic

figurative note

The head is the upper or front part of the human body, containing the sensory organs and the brain. Many of its literal or figurative senses refer to a position at the top, at the front, or at the beginning of something. Location is specified in head of the line, meaning at the front; head of the stairs, meaning at the top; and head of the river, meaning at the source. These meanings have been transferred into other fields, with the result that head means leader in the head of state, and the forefront in head of his field. Conversely, head can also mean end or climax when used in the phrase come/bring to a head. In the human body, the head is regarded as the seat of the mind and the intellect, especially when contrasted with the heart, in the phrase ruled by your heart, not your head. In addition, head can describe an ability or a facility, e.g. a head for heights or a head for figures.
Copyright © 2016 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

Additional synonyms

in the sense of apex
Definition
the highest point
She led me up a gloomy corridor to the apex of the pyramid.
Synonyms
highest point,
point,
top,
tip,
summit,
peak,
crest,
pinnacle,
vertex
in the sense of aptitude
Definition
natural tendency or ability
He discovered an aptitude for working in accounts.
Synonyms
gift,
ability,
talent,
capacity,
intelligence,
leaning,
bent,
tendency,
faculty,
capability,
flair,
inclination,
disposition,
knack,
propensity,
proficiency,
predilection,
cleverness,
proclivity (formal),
quickness,
giftedness,
proneness,
aptness
in the sense of boss
Definition
a person in charge of or employing others
He cannot stand his boss.
Synonyms
manager,
head,
leader,
director,
chief,
executive,
owner,
master,
governor (informal),
employer,
administrator,
supervisor,
superintendent,
gaffer (informal, British),
foreman or woman or person,
overseer,
kingpin,
big cheese (old-fashioned, slang),
numero uno (informal),
Mister Big (slang, US),
sherang (Australian, New Zealand)

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head

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Browse alphabetically
head

  • haze
  • hazy
  • he-man
  • head
  • head for something or someone
  • head over heels
  • head someone off

  • All ENGLISH synonyms that begin with 'H'

Related terms of
head

  • head-on
  • head start
  • head teacher
  • keep your head
  • lose your head

  • View more related words

Source

Thesaurus for head from the Collins English Thesaurus
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ...
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Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1
-

Score: 0 / 5

leant or lent?

Drag the correct answer into the box.
lent
leant
I   the book to my brother for a couple of weeks.

flour or flower?

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flower
flour
Fiona picked a beautiful red   for the display.

fair or fare?

Drag the correct answer into the box.
fair
fare
Do you feel they are paying their   share?

shaken or shook?

Which version is correct?
The nurse shaken the thermometer and put it under my arm. The nurse shook the thermometer and put it under my arm.

main or mane?

Which version is correct?
This is one of the main tourist areas of Amsterdam. This is one of the mane tourist areas of Amsterdam.
Your score:
Sep 02, 2021
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mas
a carnival
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Scrabble score
for 'head':
8

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1
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Score: 0 / 5

role or roll?

Which version is correct?
Both sides have a role to play. Both sides have a roll to play.

creak or creek?

Which version is correct?
They were led down a path to a small creak. They were led down a path to a small creek.

advice or advise?

Drag the correct answer into the box.
advice
advise
Take my   and stay away from him!

cue or queue?

Which version is correct?
He was nine when he picked up a cue for the first time. He was nine when he picked up a queue for the first time.

paw or pour?

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paw
pour
He removes a thorn from a lion's  .
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Updating our Usage
There are many diverse influences on the way that English is used across the world today. We look at some of the ways in which the language is changing. Read our series of blogs to find out more. October 30, 2020 Read more
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