adj · adv · 5 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.
General-American:hĕd ō'vər hēlz
General-American:/ˌhɛd oʊ.vɚ ˈhilz/
General-American:/ˌhɛd oʊ.vɚ ˈhi.əlz/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌhɛd əʊ.və ˈhiːlz/
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Hopelessly smitten; madly in love.
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
2
adv
Meaning 2
Tumbling upside down; somersaulting.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
She tripped and rolled head over heels down the hill.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: arse over tit, ass over teakettle, base over apex
Antonyms: none provided
3
adv
Meaning 3
At top speed; frantically.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
Hearing the noise in the dark, the children ran head over heels back home.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: full tilt, full throttle, like mad
Antonyms: none provided
4
adv
Meaning 4
Hopelessly; madly; to distraction; deeply; utterly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: head over ears
Antonyms: none provided
5
adverb
Meaning 5
in disorderly haste
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
we ran head over heels toward the shelter
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: heels over head, topsy-turvy, topsy-turvily, in great confusion
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Attested from the 14th century onwards, originally as heels over head, which better rendered the notion of things being upside down (head over heels is the standard state of being).
Across languages
Translations
78 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Finnish:
korviaan myöten rakastunut
— hopelessly smitten
Finnish:
päättömänä
— hopelessly smitten
French:
fou amoureux
— hopelessly smitten
Hungarian:
fülig szerelmes
— hopelessly smitten
Polish:
zakochany po uszy
— hopelessly smitten
Slovak:
zaľúbený po uši
— hopelessly smitten
Slovak:
beznádejne zaľúbený
— hopelessly smitten
Swedish:
upp över öronen
— hopelessly smitten
Bulgarian:
през глава
(prez glava)
— tumbling upside down
Catalan:
de tomballons
— tumbling upside down
Dutch:
halsoverkop
— tumbling upside down
Finnish:
päistikkaa
— tumbling upside down
Finnish:
suin päin
— tumbling upside down
French:
jambes par-dessus tête
— tumbling upside down
German:
purzelnd
— tumbling upside down
German:
überschlagend
— tumbling upside down
German:
kopfüber
— tumbling upside down
German:
Hals über Kopf
— tumbling upside down
Italian:
gambe all'aria
— tumbling upside down
Norwegian Bokmål:
hodestups
— tumbling upside down
Polish:
do góry nogami
— tumbling upside down
Portuguese:
cabeça pra baixo
— tumbling upside down
Portuguese:
ponta-cabeça
— tumbling upside down
Russian:
вверх нога́ми
(vverx nogámi)
— tumbling upside down
Russian:
вверх торма́шками
(vverx tormáškami)
— tumbling upside down
Russian:
ку́барем
(kúbarem)
— tumbling upside down
Scottish Gaelic:
bun-os-cionn
— tumbling upside down
Scottish Gaelic:
car air char
— tumbling upside down
Scottish Gaelic:
car mu char
— tumbling upside down
Scottish Gaelic:
car a' mhuiltein
— tumbling upside down
Slovak:
hore nohami
— tumbling upside down
Spanish:
cabeza abajo
— tumbling upside down
Spanish:
patas arriba
— tumbling upside down
Swedish:
stå på öronen
— tumbling upside down
Ukrainian:
догори дриґом
(dohory drygom)
— tumbling upside down
Welsh:
tin dros ben
— tumbling upside down
Welsh:
dinben drosben
— tumbling upside down
Welsh:
dibyn-dobyn
— tumbling upside down
Dutch:
halsoverkop
— at top speed; frantically
Finnish:
pää kolmantena jalkana
— at top speed; frantically
German:
Hals über Kopf
— at top speed; frantically
German:
wie verrückt
— at top speed; frantically
German:
wie wahnsinnig
— at top speed; frantically
Hungarian:
hanyatt-homlok
— at top speed; frantically
Italian:
a gambe levate
— at top speed; frantically
Limburgish:
halseuverkop
— at top speed; frantically
Polish:
na złamanie karku
— at top speed; frantically
Polish:
na łeb, na szyję
— at top speed; frantically
Russian:
сломя́ го́лову
(slomjá gólovu)
— at top speed; frantically
Russian:
очертя́ го́лову
(očertjá gólovu)
— at top speed; frantically
Russian:
стремгла́в
(stremgláv)
— at top speed; frantically
Russian:
опроме́тью
(oprométʹju)
— at top speed; frantically
Slovak:
nohy na plecia
— at top speed; frantically
Swedish:
hals över huvud
— at top speed; frantically
Ukrainian:
стрімголов
(strimholov)
— at top speed; frantically
Dutch:
halsoverkop
— hopelessly, madly (as in head over heels in love)
Finnish:
korviaan myöten
— hopelessly, madly (as in head over heels in love)
Finnish:
päättömästi
— hopelessly, madly (as in head over heels in love)
French:
follement
— hopelessly, madly (as in head over heels in love)
French:
éperdument
— hopelessly, madly (as in head over heels in love)
French:
à la folie
— hopelessly, madly (as in head over heels in love)
French:
fou
— hopelessly, madly (as in head over heels in love)
German:
Hals über Kopf
— hopelessly, madly (as in head over heels in love)
German:
(bis) über beide Ohren
— hopelessly, madly (as in head over heels in love)
Hungarian:
fülig
— hopelessly, madly (as in head over heels in love)
Italian:
follemente
— hopelessly, madly (as in head over heels in love)
Italian:
perdutamente
— hopelessly, madly (as in head over heels in love)
Italian:
fuori di testa
— hopelessly, madly (as in head over heels in love)
Japanese:
めろめろ
(meromero)
— hopelessly, madly (as in head over heels in love)
Norwegian Bokmål:
hodestups
— hopelessly, madly (as in head over heels in love)
Polish:
po uszy
— hopelessly, madly (as in head over heels in love)
Slovak:
po uši
— hopelessly, madly (as in head over heels in love)
Slovak:
beznádejne
— hopelessly, madly (as in head over heels in love)
Spanish:
perdidamente
— hopelessly, madly (as in head over heels in love)
Swedish:
handlöst
— hopelessly, madly (as in head over heels in love)
Swedish:
upp över öronen
— hopelessly, madly (as in head over heels in love)
Ukrainian:
по вуха
(po vuxa)
— hopelessly, madly (as in head over heels in love)
Ukrainian:
по самі вуха
(po sami vuxa)
— hopelessly, madly (as in head over heels in love)