Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

headhunter

/ˈhɛdˌhʌntɚ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.48 in modern English

Syllables: head-hunter
IPA: /ˈhɛdˌhʌntɚ/

17

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A person who practises headhunting, the taking and preserving of a person's head after killing them.

noun

One who recruits skilled personnel, especially executive-level ones, for a company.

noun

A pitcher who throws at the batter's head.

noun

A player who uses a hockey stick to attempt to strike an opponent's head.

Example Sentences

"We were accommodated here in the verandah of the large house, in which were several great baskets of dried human heads, the trophies of past generations of head-hunters."
"Theirs was the spirit which upheld Darwin among the gauchos of the Argentine or Wallace among the head-hunters of Malaya."
"Near-synonyms: recruiter, talent scout"
"A headhunter called me out of the blue with an offer I couldn't refuse."
"Thankfully, there aren't many headhunters in the modern game."
"He is known as a goon and a headhunter."

Etymology

From head + hunter.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈhɛdˌhʌntɚ/

Inflected Forms

headhunters (plural) head hunter (alternative)

Frequently Paired Words

headhunt headhunted headhunting duster

Synonyms

recruiter talent scout head-shrinker

Questions

How do you pronounce headhunter?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈhɛdˌhʌntɚ/.
What does headhunter mean?: A person who practises headhunting, the taking and preserving of a person's head after killing them.
Where does headhunter come from?: From head + hunter.

How to pronounce headhunter

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “headhunter”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈhɛdˌhʌntɚ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “headhunter”.
Repeat and practice — Say “headhunter” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.