diving headfirst

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   Entering water with your head and arms leading the way and your feet following behind.

   Grammar: Used as an adverbial phrase after a verb of movement: dive, jump, go, plunge.

   Patterns

   • go diving headfirst
   • jump/dive headfirst into something
   • diving headfirst off something

   He broke the surface diving headfirst from the low board.

   The children were warned not to go diving headfirst into the shallow end.

   She practiced diving headfirst until her entry was almost splash-free.

2. 2phraseidiomfigurative

   Starting something new and difficult with great enthusiasm but little preparation.

   Grammar: Figurative use; usually followed by into: dive headfirst into a project.

   Patterns

   • dive headfirst into something
   • go headfirst into something

   After graduation she dove headfirst into a career in journalism.

   They went headfirst into the renovation without checking the budget.

Common combinations

go diving headfirst

We watched him go diving headfirst off the rocks.

dive headfirst into

He dived headfirst into the cold lake.

headfirst dive

A headfirst dive looks graceful but needs strong arms.

diving headfirst from a board

Diving headfirst from a board takes confidence.

warn against diving headfirst

Lifeguards warn against diving headfirst into unknown water.

Synonyms and how they differ

headlong

Also means moving with the head first, but it is more literary and often suggests recklessness.

head-first

The same word spelled with a hyphen; both spellings are accepted and mean exactly the same.

Opposites

Word family

dive verb

To jump or fall into water, usually with your head first.

diver noun

A person who dives, either for sport or as a job.

headfirst adverb

With the head in front of the rest of the body.

Commonly confused: diving headfirst or headfast?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “diving headfirst”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words