1
as in psychopath
a person having or showing a severely disordered or abnormal state of mind
brought in a counselor to work with the student they worried might be a head case
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in eccentric
a person of odd or whimsical habits
an area of scientific research that's a good niche for social misfits and hard-core head cases
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of head case
My question is, with what AB did to the Raiders, Why would Gruden/Mayock want to take another head case like Jalen Ramsey?
—
Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2019
Brown is the foremost head case and headache in the NFL.
—BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2019
Whiteside has a reputation of being a bit of a head case, and also, in need of motivation.
—oregonlive.com, 1 July 2019
One game Kevin Durant is a head case, the next he’s dialed in.
—Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 June 2018
Here’s a toast to both of them, performing in such relevant games after being written off as hopeless head cases earlier in their careers.
—Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 May 2018
Grant Goodrich of Cleveland, who heads Case Western Reserve University's Great Lakes Energy Institute, collected $72,192 in the quarter, spent $28,273 and had $48,919 in the bank.
—Sabrina Eaton, cleveland.com, 16 Apr. 2018
Then again, the finale may just add to the mystery, and turn not just a few, but every single character into a head case tortured by strange, traumatic visions and memories.
—Kristi Turnquist, OregonLive.com, 12 Apr. 2018
Neither of the Aboutaam brothers has been charged with any wrongdoing related to any of these investigations or to the bull’s head case.
—Georgi Kantchev, WSJ, 27 Sep. 2017
Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2019
Brown is the foremost head case and headache in the NFL.
—BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2019
Whiteside has a reputation of being a bit of a head case, and also, in need of motivation.
—oregonlive.com, 1 July 2019
One game Kevin Durant is a head case, the next he’s dialed in.
—Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 June 2018
Here’s a toast to both of them, performing in such relevant games after being written off as hopeless head cases earlier in their careers.
—Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 May 2018
Grant Goodrich of Cleveland, who heads Case Western Reserve University's Great Lakes Energy Institute, collected $72,192 in the quarter, spent $28,273 and had $48,919 in the bank.
—Sabrina Eaton, cleveland.com, 16 Apr. 2018
Then again, the finale may just add to the mystery, and turn not just a few, but every single character into a head case tortured by strange, traumatic visions and memories.
—Kristi Turnquist, OregonLive.com, 12 Apr. 2018
Neither of the Aboutaam brothers has been charged with any wrongdoing related to any of these investigations or to the bull’s head case.
—Georgi Kantchev, WSJ, 27 Sep. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for head case
Noun
-
The first introduced the audience to the cast of the film: Sally Hawkins, playing a kindly foster mother who — as Danny introduced her — might be a psychopath, Billy Barratt and Sora Wong as her two new foster kids, and Jonah Wren Phillips as her younger, troubled foster son.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2025
-
In separate filings, the defense is also asking the court to limit the use of the words murder, psychopath and sociopath.—
Michael Ruiz,
Fox News,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Robert Redford delivers folksy wisdom as a local eccentric who once had his own dragon encounter, and even Karl Urban’s greedy logger is more of a nuisance than an outright villain.—
Josh Bell,
Vulture,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Attracting talent for greater innovation hazards acquiring a few eccentrics whose gifts come wrapped in controversial packaging.—
Chip Bell,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Over time, though, the character began to resemble Warner Bros. Discovery president David Zaslav, who famously sought to permanently shelve projects like Batgirl and Coyote vs. Acme for tax write-offs.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
28 Mar. 2025
-
But after Bonet departed the series following its first season, the focus shifted to characters played by Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison, Dawnn Lewis, Glynn Turman, Cory Tyler, Lou Myers, Darryl M. Bell, Cree Summer, and Charnele Brown.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Holding out hope for Hannah’s return, or Janine’s liberation, or… anything, really, by this point in the Hulu drama’s final run can feel like a fool’s errand.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
8 Apr. 2025
-
That said, sense-making is a fool’s errand in this era.—
Damon Beres,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
That joke might be fine if everyone in Smash were a maniac.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
11 Apr. 2025
-
And one week after his party homicidal maniacs had started a war that, among a great many other shocking and despicable things, had alienated his daughter from him and from her family and people.—
David Bezmozgis,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Kevin Williamson, the writer who created the franchise with the 1996 original, is directing the sequel. Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown, the other half of the reboots' Core Four along with Ortega and Barrera, will reprise their roles.—
Benjamin VanHoose,
People.com,
7 Apr. 2025
-
That proved challenging because technology had advanced with different machines and methods since manufacturing the original.—
Melinda Newman,
Billboard,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
But some lights appear to draw more bugs than others.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Teoscar back in the lineup Outfielder Teoscar Hernández will return to the lineup against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday after missing the last two games with a stomach bug.—
Benjamin Royer,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Texturally, the series is best categorized as a psycho-thriller, but the design of the episodes is never redundant.—
WIRED,
WIRED,
17 Mar. 2023
-
Another summer, another hook-wielding psycho killer — and maybe some familiar faces too.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
7 Feb. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Head case.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/head%20case. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share