headlong

adv

1. (not-comparable)With the head first or down.
2. (not-comparable)With an unrestrained forward motion.

   “Figures out today show the economy plunging headlong into recession.”

   “When his eyes were clear again, he saw the monster had passed and was rushing landward. Big iron upper-works rose out of this headlong structure, and from that twin funnels projected, and spat a smoking blast shot with fire into the air. It was the torpedo-ram, Thunder Child, steaming headlong, coming to the rescue of the threatened shipping.”

   “Realizing he is now boxed in on all sides, Hipper decides the only remaining card he has to play is to sell his ships as dearly as possible. The remaining German ships make a hard turn southeast, and drive headlong at the Grand Fleet. It is a brave gesture, but only eight of the ships emerge from the pall of smoke that roughly marks the original German line of advance. Two more emerge minutes later, but that is all.”

   “I felt deja vu as I recalled a video in which a Tesla owner slammed on the brakes after his car appeared set on crashing headlong into a construction site.”

3. (not-comparable)Rashly; precipitately; without deliberation; in haste, hastily.

adj

1. Precipitous.

   “Their path led them past sharp cliffs, along narrow trails unknown and untrodden, past headlong boulders strewn across barren, treeless, wind-haunted heights.”

2. Plunging downwards head foremost.

   “On sighting their prey, they check their flight and hurtle in a headlong dive to the sea.”

3. Rushing forward without restraint.

   “Bumps, bruises, and scratches are often the result of their efforts to outstrip each other in the headlong race.”

4. (figuratively)Reckless; impetuous.

   ““Time is up,” cried another boy, more headlong than head-monitor.”

verb

1. (transitive)To precipitate.

   “If a stranger be setting his pace and face toward some deep pit, or steep rock — such a precipice as the cliffs of Dover — how do we cry aloud to have him return ? yet in mean time forget the course of our own sinful ignorance, that headlongs us to confusion.”

   “Carriages went up and down in endless pageant. Trolley-cars rushed by, clanging and grinding as they headlonged into the side streets.”