Meaning & use
strong-headed woman
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
A woman who firmly keeps to her own opinions and refuses to be told what to do.
Grammar: Used as a noun phrase; the adjective part can also stand alone: a strong-headed woman, or simply she is strong-headed.
Patterns
- a strong-headed woman
- be strong-headed
- a strong-headed woman about something
Everyone calls my aunt a strong-headed woman, because she has never once changed her mind just to please somebody else.
She is a strong-headed woman who runs the family business exactly as she thinks best.
As a strong-headed woman, Maya would rather lose the deal than sign terms she disagrees with.
phrasefixed phraseapproving
A woman who stays determined and does not give up when things become difficult.
Grammar: Here the focus is on toughness rather than stubbornness; it often appears in praise.
Patterns
- a strong-headed woman in a crisis
- prove to be a strong-headed woman
The coach praised her as a strong-headed woman who kept the team together after two heavy defeats.
In a crisis, the village looked to Nana, a strong-headed woman who had survived worse.
phrasefixed phrasedisapproving
A woman who will not listen to advice or change her plans, in a way other people find annoying.
Grammar: Often slightly critical; the speaker is hinting that being firm has gone too far.
Patterns
- too strong-headed to listen
- a strong-headed woman who won't budge
He found his new manager too strong-headed to hear any warning about the budget.
She can seem a strong-headed woman who won't budge, even when the evidence is against her.
Common combinations
- a strong-headed woman
- His grandmother was a strong-headed woman who farmed the land alone for thirty years.
- be strong-headed about something
- Don't be so strong-headed about the seating plan; let someone else choose for once.
- too strong-headed to compromise
- Both sides were too strong-headed to compromise, so the talks collapsed.
- a strong-headed woman in charge
- The hospital needed a strong-headed woman in charge during the outbreak.
- come across as strong-headed
- At first she comes across as strong-headed, but she listens more than people think.
Synonyms and how they differ
- headstrong
- Very close in meaning, but headstrong is one word and usually sounds critical, suggesting someone who rushes ahead without advice.
- strong-willed
- Similar and more approving; it stresses inner determination rather than refusing other people's ideas.
- stubborn
- Stronger and clearly negative; a stubborn person simply will not change, while a strong-headed one may still be admired.
- determined
- Positive and neutral; it says nothing about ignoring other people, which strong-headed often implies.
Opposites
Word family
- strong-headed adjective
- The adjective form used of any person: a strong-headed boy, she is strong-headed.
- strong-headedness noun
- The quality of being like this: his strong-headedness cost him the job.
- headstrong adjective
- A single-word adjective with a similar but more critical meaning.
Commonly confused: strong-headed woman or strong-minded? strong-headed woman or big-headed?
strong-headed woman vs strong-minded
Strong-minded means having clear, firm opinions and is usually approving; strong-headed leans toward refusing to be guided by others.
strong-headed woman vs big-headed
Big-headed means conceited or thinking too highly of yourself, which is quite different from being firm.
Practice
Which sentence uses "strong-headed woman" in the most natural way?
Choose one answer.
The phrase works as a description after "is" or before a noun, so option A fits. Option B wrongly uses "of" to mean she has children; C uses the phrase as a verb; D puts the adjective in the wrong position with a pointless adverb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “strong-headed woman”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.