Meanings
present singular third person loses one's head · participle present losing one's head · participle past lost one's head · past lost one's head
- figurativelyTo be killed, usually in a gruesome manner.
- literalTo suffer decapitation.
- idiomaticTo behave irrationally or to lose one's self-control, especially in a distressing situation or as a result of falling in love.
"He never lost his head in a crisis," Mr. Mandela wrote of his comrade.
2003 May 6, Bill Keller, “Walter Sisulu, Mandela Mentor and Comrade, Dies at 90”, in New York Times, retrieved 12 Dec 20093 more examples
Mrs. Ambient's grief was frantic; she lost her head and said strange things.
1884, Henry James, chapter 4, in The Author of BeltraffioLosing his head entirely, the young collier raved like a madman, what with pain and fear of hospital.
1914, D. H. Lawrence, “A Sick Collier”, in The Prussian Officer and Other StoriesHe then had to jump, and appears to have lost his head, as instead of walking the short distance forward to Slochd to let the signalman know what had happened, he started the 6½-mile walk back to Carrbridge.
1940 November, “Notes and News: A Highland Collision”, in Railway Magazine, page 612Synonyms: flip out, freak out, head over heels, in love, lose one's marbles, lose one's mind, off with someone's head, panic
- idiomaticTo be dismissed from a job.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo behave irrationally or to lose one's self-control, especially in a distressing situation or as a result of falling in love.
Translations
Finnish menettää päänsä, mennä sekaisin
- menettää päänsäto suffer decapitation
- mennä sekaisinto behave irrationally or lose self-control
- seotato behave irrationally or lose self-control
- saada potkutto be dismissed from a job
French perdre la tête
- perdre la têteto behave irrationally or lose self-control
German den Kopf verlieren
- den Kopf verlierento behave irrationally or lose self-control
Hungarian elveszti a fejét
- elveszti a fejétto behave irrationally or lose self-control
Italian perdere la testa
- perdere la testato behave irrationally or lose self-control
Norwegian Bokmål miste hodet
- miste hodetto behave irrationally or lose self-control
Polish tracić głowę, stracić głowę
- tracić głowęto behave irrationally or lose self-control
- stracić głowęto behave irrationally or lose self-control
Portuguese perder a cabeça
- perder a cabeçato behave irrationally or lose self-control
Russian теря́ть го́лову, потеря́ть го́лову
- теря́ть го́лову (terjátʹ gólovu)to behave irrationally or lose self-control
- потеря́ть го́лову (poterjátʹ gólovu)to behave irrationally or lose self-control
Spanish perder la cabeza
- perder la cabezato behave irrationally or lose self-control
Turkish aklını kaçırmak, aklını yitirmek
- aklını kaçırmakto behave irrationally or lose self-control
- aklını yitirmekto behave irrationally or lose self-control
Cite this entry
lose one's head. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lose%20one's%20head
“lose one's head.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lose%20one's%20head. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lose one's head,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lose%20one's%20head.
Source: lose one's head on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.