petrol head

Meaning

1. 1nouncountableinformalBritish

   A person who is passionate about cars, especially fast ones, and loves driving, repairing or talking about them.

   Grammar: Takes a/an and a plural: a petrol head, two petrol heads.

   Patterns

   • a petrol head who loves something

   My brother is a real petrol head and spends every weekend at track days.

   Only a petrol head would drive three hours to see an old engine start up.

   The festival is packed with petrol heads admiring restored sports cars.

Word forms

Common combinations

a real petrol head

Dad is a real petrol head who knows every model by its sound.

a self-confessed petrol head

As a self-confessed petrol head, she queues early for the motor show.

petrol head heaven

The classic car auction was petrol head heaven.

a petrol head magazine

He keeps a stack of petrol head magazines in the garage.

turn into a petrol head

Living near a racing circuit turned him into a petrol head.

Synonyms and how they differ

car enthusiast

It is neutral and more formal, whereas petrol head sounds casual and suggests stronger obsession.

gearhead

It is the usual American equivalent and leans toward people who tinker with engines, not just admire cars.

car buff

It is milder and suggests knowledge or interest rather than all-consuming passion.

motorhead

It is close in meaning but can also describe someone obsessed with motorcycles or racing.

Word family

petrol noun

fuel for car engines in British English

petrolhead noun

the one-word spelling of the same term

head noun

used in slang to mean a devoted fan, as in this compound

Commonly confused: petrol head or gas guzzler?

Practice

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