head over heels

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head over heels

/ˌhɛd oʊ.vɚ ˈhilz/ US
/ˌhɛd oʊ.vɚ ˈhi.əlz/ US
/ˌhɛd əʊ.və ˈhiːlz/ UK

Where it comes from

Attested from the 14th century onwards, originally as heels over head, which better rendered the notion of things being upside down (head over heels is the standard state of being).

adverb

not comparable Tumbling upside down; somersaulting. She tripped and rolled head over heels down the hill.
Similar: arse over tit, ass over teakettle, base over apex
not comparable At top speed; frantically. Hearing the noise in the dark, the children ran head over heels back home.
Similar: full tilt, full throttle, like mad
not comparable, usually, with in love Hopelessly; madly; to distraction; deeply; utterly. I am head over heels in trouble.
Similar: head over ears

adjective

not comparable Hopelessly smitten; madly in love. Something happens and I'm head over heels / Ah, don't take my heart, don't break my heart / Don't, don't, don't throw it away

Translations

Every language

adv tumbling upside down

Español	cabeza abajo, patas arriba
Português	cabeça pra baixo, ponta-cabeça
Français	jambes par-dessus tête
Deutsch	purzelnd, überschlagend, kopfüber, Hals über Kopf
Italiano	gambe all'aria
Русский	вверх нога́ми vverx nogámi, вверх торма́шками vverx tormáškami, ку́барем kúbarem

adv at top speed; frantically

Deutsch	Hals über Kopf, wie verrückt, wie wahnsinnig
Italiano	a gambe levate
Русский	сломя́ го́лову slomjá gólovu, очертя́ го́лову očertjá gólovu, стремгла́в stremgláv, опроме́тью oprométʹju

adv hopelessly, madly (as in head over heels in love)

Español	perdidamente
日本語	めろめろ meromero
Français	follement, éperdument, à la folie, fou
Deutsch	Hals über Kopf, (bis) über beide Ohren
Italiano	follemente, perdutamente, fuori di testa

adj hopelessly smitten

Français	fou amoureux

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Cite this

MLA

"head over heels." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/head%20over%20heels. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

head over heels. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/head%20over%20heels

Chicago

"head over heels." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/head%20over%20heels.

BibTeX

@misc{head_over_heels_2026,
  title = {head over heels},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/head%20over%20heels},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}