head cases

noun

plural of head case
1
as in lunatics
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

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2
as in eccentrics
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for head cases
  1. lunatics
  2. eccentrics
  3. bugs
  4. nuts
  5. maniacs
  6. characters
  7. fools
  8. originals
Noun
  • Republicans see an opportunity here, portraying progressive and socialist Democrats as lunatics and communists.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • While sane Americans were celebrating the MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, the lunatics in Portland, Oregon were cheering along as two men made out on a baseball field during a 'Heated Rivalry' theme night.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of lunatics
Noun
  • No documentarian has a better eye for intriguing oddballs than Errol Morris, who built his feature film career on drawing them out in conversation, from pet-cemetery owners in Gates of Heaven to small-town eccentrics in Vernon, Florida.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Dippold has populated the show with lovable eccentrics played by great character actors—Dale Dickey, Jeff Hiller, Tim Baltz.
    — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 18 June 2026
Definition of eccentrics
Noun
  • Warming temperatures around the world are also helping those bugs spread.
    — Dylan Scott, Vox, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Mountain Moose, Alaska The best hunting for the biggest deer in the world is in the mountains of Alaska where Alaska-Yukon bull moose climb above treeline to escape summer bugs and grow antlers that can span more than six feet!
    — Ron Spomer, Outdoor Life, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of bugs
Noun
  • White suggests nuts, popcorn, bite-size desserts, cheese boards, or, of course, nostalgic candy.
    — Heather Bien, Southern Living, 29 Aug. 2026
  • This is an uncomplicated yarn about a man prying open his heart and nudging other hard nuts to do the same.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of nuts
Noun
  • The odd thing about this choice is that, although the DSA’s platform is indeed chock-full of maniacal proposals, on this particular idea, the maniacs have a point.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026
  • Because Sidney Prescott, now Evans, exists only in relationship to Ghostface, the costume worn by many different knife-wielding maniacs over the years, starting with her high school boyfriend.
    — Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 3 Mar. 2026
Definition of maniacs
Noun
  • The entire ensemble of cast led by Manoj, Divya, and Boman bring an incredible depth to their characters.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The diversity of the core ensemble—a far cry from Hannah Horvath’s all-white friend group—is rarely remarked upon by the characters, except as part of a bit.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of characters
Noun
  • Pace, skill, a vicious shot, the ability to make opposition defenders look like fools.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • This is an ignoble war making monsters and fools out of its participants, and against the uncontrollable weapons that are dragons, everyone’s resolve is crumbling.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 June 2026
Definition of fools
Noun
  • The new book, written by Annette Bay Pimentel and illustrated by Faith Pray, pays homage to the originals by echoing Winnie's original voice and Shepard's artistic style.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Upcoming originals for 2027 include La Oficina Season 2, Florence Cassez, Tremembé Season 2, Marília, Menem Season 2, Te Odio, Te Amo, Rojo Corazón, Catedrales, and Valentina.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of originals
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.

Browse Nearby Words

head case
head cases
headdress
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Cite this Entry

“Head cases.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/head%20cases. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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