head-on
/ˈhed ˌɔn/
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: 5.49 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Direct, abrupt, blunt or unequivocal; not prevaricating; uncompromising
adv
With direct confrontation.
Example Sentences
- "a head-on approach to a problem"
- "In what way do we benefit from speaking of things indirectly? How does such a distancing allow us to better discover - and describe - people and objects? How does distancing produce an effect? Westerners find it natural and normal to meet the world head-on. But what can we gain from approaching the world obliquely?"
- "Getting into a head-on collision is dangerous."
- "This secondary collision, head-on with a closing speed of 142mph, caused the DVT to veer off to the left. Many of the coaches behind it overturned and careered into an adjacent field."
- "Wave direction and frequency (period) are two factors that influence the effect of waves on a moored ship. Whether the ship responds by surging, swaying or yawing will depend on whether the waves are striking the moored vessel head-on, beam-on or quartering, the frequency of the waves and the manner in which the tanker is moored."
- "During the day conditions worsened quickly—for example, a 2-6-0 on the Uckfield line suddenly encountered flood water high enough to enter its ashpan and extinguish its fire—until lock gates up-river at Barcombe gave way and a tidal wave rolled down the valley meeting head-on a spring tide rolling up from the coast."
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈhed ˌɔn/
- British English: /ˈhɛd ˌɒn/