Meanings
phrase
- idiomaticSome people will be fired for incompetence or malfeasance.
If this project isn't completed on time, heads will roll.
Origin
From the imagery of a head rolling on the ground when a person is decapitated as punishment for a crime.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 人頭落地 /人头落地
- 人頭落地 /人头落地 (réntóu luòdì)some people will be fired for incompetence or malfeasance
Finnish päitä putoilee
- päitä putoileesome people will be fired for incompetence or malfeasance
French des têtes vont tomber
- des têtes vont tombersome people will be fired for incompetence or malfeasance
Hungarian fejek fognak hullani
- fejek fognak hullanisome people will be fired for incompetence or malfeasance
Italian cadranno delle teste
- cadranno delle testesome people will be fired for incompetence or malfeasance
Polish polecą głowy
- polecą głowysome people will be fired for incompetence or malfeasance
Russian полетят головы
- полетят головы (poletjat golovy)some people will be fired for incompetence or malfeasance
Cite this entry
APA
heads will roll. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heads%20will%20roll
MLA
“heads will roll.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heads%20will%20roll. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “heads will roll,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heads%20will%20roll.
Source: heads will roll on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.