Meaning & use
a headboard
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
a flat upright board fixed at the top end of a bed, behind where you put your head.
Grammar: Countable noun: use 'a headboard' for one, or 'headboards' for more than one.
Patterns
- a wooden headboard
- attach a headboard to a bed
- lean against the headboard
The bed has a dark wooden headboard.
She sat up and leaned against the headboard while reading.
We bought a new headboard to match the bedroom furniture.
Word forms
| plural | headboards |
|---|
Common combinations
- wooden headboard
- They chose a wooden headboard to go with the pine bed.
- upholstered headboard
- An upholstered headboard can make the bed look softer.
- attach a headboard
- It took only a few minutes to attach the headboard.
- lean against the headboard
- He leaned against the headboard and checked his phone.
- headboard and footboard
- The old bed came with both a headboard and a footboard.
Word family
- bedhead noun
- The top end of a bed, or a type of furniture that combines a headboard with storage.
Commonly confused: a headboard or footboard? a headboard or headrest?
a headboard vs footboard
A footboard is the board at the bottom end of the bed, near your feet, not behind your head.
a headboard vs headrest
A headrest is a support for your head on a chair or car seat, not part of a bed.
Practice
Choose the best word: 'She sat up in bed and leaned her back against the ____.'
Choose one answer.
The headboard is the upright board at the top of the bed, where you lean back. A footboard is at the bottom, a headrest is on a chair or car seat, and 'bedside' means the area next to the bed.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a headboard”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.