butt heads

verb

To argue uncompromisingly.

“They always seem to butt heads when they end up talking about politics.”

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbbutt heads (third-person singular simple present butts heads, present participle butting heads, simple past and past participle butted heads)

present singular third person butts heads · participle present butting heads · participle past butted heads · past butted heads

  1. idiomaticTo argue uncompromisingly.

    They always seem to butt heads when they end up talking about politics.

    1 more example

    "Eventually, I just pieced it together, figuring your butting heads could probably be explained by a break up. Years of anime shipping trained me for this."

    2018 November 21, Jocelyn Samara D., Rain (webcomic), Comic 1101 - Rose
  2. To struggle against something that does not give way.

    For long spells, City butted their heads against Chelsea’s well-organised lines and the upshot was the end of their push to complete a treble.

    2021 May 29, David Hytner, “Chelsea win Champions League after Kai Havertz stuns Manchester City”, in The Guardian

Origin

From the activities of some horned animals, which compete by butting, or hitting, their heads against one another.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 發生衝突 /发生冲突
  • 發生衝突 /发生冲突 (fāshēng chōngtū)argue uncompromisingly
Finnish kinastella
  • kinastellaargue uncompromisingly
French ne pas se mouiller
  • ne pas se mouillerargue uncompromisingly
Polish kłócić się, pokłócić się
  • kłócić sięargue uncompromisingly
  • pokłócić sięargue uncompromisingly
Cite this entry
APA

butt heads. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/butt%20heads

MLA

“butt heads.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/butt%20heads. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “butt heads,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/butt%20heads.

Source: butt heads on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.