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off the top of one's head

head
O o

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [hed]
    • /ɔf, ɒf stressed ði tɒp ʌv, ɒv wʌnz hɛd/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [hed]
    • /ɔf, ɒf stressed ði tɒp ʌv, ɒv wʌnz hɛd/

Definitions of off the top of one's head words

  • noun off the top of one's head the upper part of the body in humans, joined to the trunk by the neck, containing the brain, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. 1
  • noun off the top of one's head the corresponding part of the body in other animals. 1
  • noun off the top of one's head the head considered as the center of the intellect, as of thought, memory, understanding, or emotional control; mind; brain: She has a good head for mathematics. Keep a cool head in an emergency. 1
  • noun off the top of one's head the position or place of leadership, greatest authority, or honor. 1
  • noun off the top of one's head a person to whom others are subordinate, as the director of an institution or the manager of a department; leader or chief. 1
  • noun off the top of one's head a person considered with reference to his or her mind, disposition, attributes, status, etc.: wise heads; crowned heads. 1
See all 90 definitions of off the top of one's head

Information block about the term

Origin of off the top of one's head

First appearance:

before 900
One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; Middle English he(v)ed, Old English hēafod; cognate with Old High German houbit, Gothic haubith; akin to Old English hafud- (in hafudland headland), Old Norse hǫfuth, Latin caput (see capital1)

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Off the top of one's head

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Full grammatical hierarchy of Off the top of one's head

off the top of one's head popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 99% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

Synonyms for off the top of one's head

adv off the top of one's head

  • ad-lib — If you ad-lib something in a play or a speech, you say something which has not been planned or written beforehand.
  • by ear — without reading from written music
  • improv — improvisation.

adj off the top of one's head

  • ill-advised — acting or done without due consideration; imprudent: an ill-advised remark.
  • ill-judged — injudicious; unwise.

adverb off the top of one's head

  • extempore — Spoken or done without preparation.
  • impromptu — made or done without previous preparation: an impromptu address to the unexpected crowds.
  • improvised — made or said without previous preparation: an improvised skit.
  • makeshift — a temporary expedient or substitute: We used boxes as a makeshift while the kitchen chairs were being painted.
  • offhand — cavalierly, curtly, or brusquely: to reply offhand.

adjective off the top of one's head

  • napping — to sleep for a short time; doze.
All 12 Synonyms of off the top of one's head

Antonyms for off the top of one's head

adverb off the top of one's head

  • written — a past participle of write.
Just one Antonym for off the top of one's head

See also

Matching words

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