Standard Lemma guide

head-on

adj · adv · noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈhɛd ˌɒn/
  • British, Scotland, Southern, Standard: /ˈhɛd ˌɔn/
  • Australia: /ˈhed ˌɔn/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • New-Zealand: /ˈhed ˌɒn/
  • New-Zealand: [ˈhe̝d ˌɔ̟n] ~ [ˈhɪd ˌɔ̟n]
  • Northern-US, cot-caught-merger: /ˈhɛd ˌɑn/
  • /ˈhɛd ˌɔn/ Southern US, Midland US, Philadelphia, Baltimore, without the cot–caught merger

1

adj

Meaning 1

Direct, abrupt, blunt or unequivocal; not prevaricating; uncompromising

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, not-comparable

Examples

  • a head-on approach to a problem

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of a collision, from the front or in the direction of motion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: automotive, transport, vehicles

Examples

  • Getting into a head-on collision is dangerous.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adv

Meaning 3

With the front of a vehicle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adv

Meaning 4

With direct confrontation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A collision from the front.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He was injured in a head-on with a larger vehicle.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

meeting front to front

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a frontal attack
  • a head-on collision

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: frontal

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

characterized by direct opposition

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a head-on confrontation

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

adverb

Meaning 8

with the front foremost

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the cars collided head-on

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

adverb

Meaning 9

in direct opposition; directly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • we must meet the problem head-on

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: suoraviivainen — direct, abrupt
  • Finnish: suorasukainen — direct, abrupt
  • Italian: di petto — direct, abrupt
  • Russian: прямолине́йный (prjamolinéjnyj) — direct, abrupt
  • Bulgarian: челен (čelen) — from the front
  • Bulgarian: фронтален (frontalen) — from the front
  • Finnish: nokka- (see nokkakolari) — from the front
  • French: frontal — from the front
  • Galician: frontal — from the front
  • German: frontal — from the front
  • Hungarian: frontális — from the front
  • Italian: frontale — from the front
  • Italian: di petto — from the front
  • Portuguese: frontal — from the front
  • Russian: лобово́й (lobovój) — from the front
  • Spanish: frontal — from the front