head for
B1Informal to neutral; common in spoken and everyday written English.
Definition
Meaning
To move or travel towards a specific place, destination, or situation.
To be likely to cause or result in a particular outcome, often an undesirable one. Also used metaphorically to indicate developing trends.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Always requires a direct object (the destination or outcome). Implies intention or inevitable trajectory. Can be literal (physical movement) or figurative (moving towards a state/result).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Slightly more common in British English in the figurative sense (e.g., 'heading for trouble').
Connotations
In both varieties, often carries a slight connotation of impending consequence, especially in negative contexts.
Frequency
Equally frequent and idiomatic in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Subject + head for + Noun Phrase (destination)Subject + be + heading for + Noun Phrase (outcome)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Head for the hills (to flee)”
- “Head for a fall (to act in a way that will cause failure)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"If sales continue to drop, we're heading for serious losses this quarter."
Academic
"The data suggests the ecosystem is heading for irreversible collapse."
Everyday
"It's getting late; I think I'll head for home."
Technical
"The pilot was instructed to head for the alternate landing site."
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- After the meeting, we all headed for the pub.
- His reckless spending is heading him for bankruptcy.
- The crowd headed for the tube station as the rain started.
American English
- She grabbed her keys and headed for the door.
- This kind of talk is heading us for a major argument.
- Let's head for the highway before the traffic gets bad.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Look at those dark clouds. We should head for shelter.
- The cat headed for its food bowl when it heard the tin open.
- As soon as the concert finished, everyone headed for the car parks.
- If you don't start studying, you're heading for a failed exam.
- Investors are heading for safer assets amid the market volatility.
- The negotiations seem to be heading for a deadlock.
- The country's economic policies are unequivocally heading it for a sovereign debt crisis.
- The novel's protagonist, oblivious to the danger, was steadily heading for her own undoing.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine your HEAD is pointed FORward in the direction you're going.
Conceptual Metaphor
DESTINATION IS A CONTAINER (we move to enter it); THE FUTURE IS A LOCATION WE MOVE TOWARDS.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate literally as "голова для". It is a phrasal verb. The closest simple equivalent is "направляться к/в".
Common Mistakes
- Omitting 'for' (Incorrect: 'I'm heading home.' is acceptable, but 'I'm heading the city' is wrong).
- Using 'to' instead of 'for' in the core meaning (Incorrect: 'head to disaster').
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'head for' CORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is an inseparable phrasal verb. You cannot put an object between 'head' and 'for' (e.g., you cannot say 'head the car for home').
'Head to' is more common for specific, planned destinations (e.g., 'head to the airport'). 'Head for' often implies moving in the direction of a destination, which could be a general area or a figurative outcome (e.g., 'head for the mountains', 'head for trouble'). In many cases, they are interchangeable.
Yes, very commonly. E.g., 'We are heading for a crisis,' 'They were heading for the border.'
It is neutral but leans towards informal. It is perfectly acceptable in everyday speech, journalism, and business communication but might be replaced with 'proceed toward' or 'be destined for' in very formal writing.