Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

head in the sand

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.40 in modern English

Syllables: head- in the sand
IPA

21

Scrabble Score

13

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A state of disregarding or denying a problem or threat.

Example Sentences

"People who deny the inevitable zombie apocalypse have their heads in the sand."
"In my opinion, the railways still have their heads in the sand on the subject of railway liveries."
"Pierce commented that he has never considered himself to be "a militant homosexual or anything like that, but if they expect us to sit around with our heads in the sand and not fight back, call me militant.""

Etymology

A reference to the imagined habit of the ostrich burying its head when threatened.

Inflected Forms

heads in the sand (plural) head-in-the-sand (alternative)

Phrases

bury one's head in the sand ostrich policy ostrich politics

Frequently Paired Words

bury one's head in the sand ostrich policy ostrich politics

Questions

What does head in the sand mean?: A state of disregarding or denying a problem or threat.
Where does head in the sand come from?: A reference to the imagined habit of the ostrich burying its head when threatened.

How to pronounce head in the sand

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