different between desponding vs headlong

English

Verb

desponding

1. present participle of despond

Adjective

desponding (comparative more desponding, superlative most desponding)

1. That causes despondency; disheartening.
   • 1782, Frances Burney, Cecilia, V.x.1:

     [T]he doubts, apprehensions, and desponding suspense which had accompanied her setting out, were now all removed, and certainty, ease, the expectation of happiness, and the cessation of all perplexity, had taken their place.

Noun

desponding (plural despondings)

1. A feeling or expression of despondency.
   • 1753, Edward Moore, The Gamester

     These are the despondings of men without money; but let the shining ore chink in the pocket, and folly turns to wisdom.

English

Etymology

From Middle English hedlong, alteration of hedling, heedling, hevedlynge (“headlong”), assimilated to long. More at headling.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?h?dl??/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?h?dl??/
• (cot–caught merger, Canada) IPA^(key): /?h?dl??/
• Rhymes: -?dl??
• Hyphenation: head?long

Adverb

headlong (not comparable)

1. With the head first or down.
2. With an unrestrained forward motion.

   Figures out today show the economy plunging headlong into recession.

3. Rashly; precipitately; without deliberation, in haste, hastily

Antonyms

• arselong (UK dialect)

Translations

Adjective

headlong (comparative more headlong, superlative most headlong)

1. Precipitous.
2. Plunging downwards head foremost.
3. Rushing forward without restraint.
4. (figuratively) Reckless, impetuous.
   • 1869, RD Blackmoore, Lorna Doone, II:

     “Time is up,” cried another boy, more headlong than head-monitor.

Derived terms

• headlongness
• headlongs

Translations

Verb

headlong (third-person singular simple present headlongs, present participle headlonging, simple past and past participle headlonged)

1. (transitive) To precipitate.

Anagrams

• Hogeland