Meaning & use
dickhead
Last updated
UK/ˈdɪkhed/
US/ˈdɪkhed/
Usage warning: this word is vulgar and offensive. It can hurt or insult people. Learn to recognise it, but avoid using it about anyone.
Meaning
nouncountablevulgarslangoffensive
A very rude insult for a person seen as stupid, selfish or annoying.
Grammar: A countable noun used mainly to insult someone; it is vulgar and only suitable among close friends or in reported speech.
Patterns
- call someone a dickhead
- be a dickhead
The coach apologized for calling the referee a dickhead in front of the cameras.
He felt like a dickhead for forgetting his friend's birthday.
The video showed a driver acting like a dickhead and blocking the whole lane.
Word forms
| plural | dickheads |
|---|
Common combinations
- act like a dickhead
- Stop acting like a dickhead and apologize.
- feel like a dickhead
- I felt like a dickhead after I snapped at her.
- call someone a dickhead
- Calling a colleague a dickhead can get you suspended.
- complete dickhead
- The reviewer described the character as a complete dickhead.
Synonyms and how they differ
- idiot
- Idiot is much milder and can be used in family settings, while dickhead is vulgar and more aggressive.
- jerk
- Jerk is a common American insult that stresses unkind behavior and is far less offensive than dickhead.
- prat
- Prat is a British insult that sounds more playful and mild, whereas dickhead is crude.
- twit
- Twit is a gentle, slightly old-fashioned put-down for silliness and lacks the vulgarity of dickhead.
Word family
- dickheaded adjective
- informal and vulgar, describing stupid or inconsiderate behavior
- dickishness noun
- vulgar slang for obnoxious behavior
Practice
Which statement about the word dickhead is most accurate?
Choose one answer.
Dickhead is a vulgar slang insult. The other options describe meanings the word does not have.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dickhead”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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