"head game" meaning in English

See head game in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: head games [plural]
Head templates: {{en-noun}} head game (plural head games)
  1. (informal) An attempt to psychologically manipulate or intimidate someone. Tags: informal
    Sense id: en-head_game-en-noun-dQWzQb7k
  2. A mental pursuit or obsession.
    Sense id: en-head_game-en-noun-LYjMn~Hs
  3. Skill at fellatio. Synonyms: head-game, headgame
    Sense id: en-head_game-en-noun-tMMneDed Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 25 1 65 9

Verb

Forms: head games [present, singular, third-person], head gaming [participle, present], head gamed [participle, past], head gamed [past]
Head templates: {{en-verb}} head game (third-person singular simple present head games, present participle head gaming, simple past and past participle head gamed)
  1. Alternative form of head-game Tags: alt-of, alternative Alternative form of: head-game Translations (psychological manipulation): henkinen painostus (Finnish), Psychospielchen [neuter] (German)
    Sense id: en-head_game-en-verb-~LoOABuY

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for head game meaning in English (4.4kB)

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "head games",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
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  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "head game (plural head games)",
      "name": "en-noun"
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2013, Sereena Nightshade, Black Market, page 226",
          "text": "The show boating, head games, phony fronts and near literal spider's webs tossed out as glistening and beautiful nets to capture the prize or the perceived prize always amazed me.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2014, Derek J. Goodman, The Contamination of Sandra Wolfe",
          "text": "Sandra got the distinct impression that he was playing some kind of head game with her.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015, Michael Moorcock -, The Whispering Swarm: Book One of The Sanctuary of the White Friars",
          "text": "I don't do moody or wounded or stern. I can't play head games.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An attempt to psychologically manipulate or intimidate someone."
      ],
      "id": "en-head_game-en-noun-dQWzQb7k",
      "links": [
        [
          "psychologically",
          "psychologically"
        ],
        [
          "manipulate",
          "manipulate"
        ],
        [
          "intimidate",
          "intimidate"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) An attempt to psychologically manipulate or intimidate someone."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1900, The School Journal - Volume 61, page 669",
          "text": "Another was able to bring into popularity puzzles, conundrums, and quiet \" head games\" or contests of memory and quick-wittedness.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2014, Kay J. Mahne, Capturing Minds by Capturing Hearts",
          "text": "Learning is definitely a head game.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2014, Robert C. Vallieres, Jacquelyn M. Howard, Wounded Warriors: A Soldier's Story of Healing through Birds, page 28",
          "text": "Distance plays into the head game of “what if.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A mental pursuit or obsession."
      ],
      "id": "en-head_game-en-noun-LYjMn~Hs",
      "links": [
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      "categories": [
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          "_dis": "25 1 65 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
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            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2009, Dennis P. Hollinger, The Meaning of Sex: Christian Ethics and the Moral Life, page 238",
          "text": "...with degrading sexual lyrics such as the lyrics by rap artist Lil' Kim: “When it comes to sex don't test my skills, cause my head game will have you head over heels.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, Wahida Clark, What's Really Hood!: A Collection of Tales from the Streets",
          "text": "They both knew the reason he always came back. Her head game was excellent.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012, Jackie Ricci, Michael “El Jefe” Archer, Trunk-Space: The Retribution of a Psychopath, page 119",
          "text": "She went to work like the cock-sucking champion that she was. This Bitch had always had crazy “head game.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Skill at fellatio."
      ],
      "id": "en-head_game-en-noun-tMMneDed",
      "links": [
        [
          "Skill",
          "skill"
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        [
          "fellatio",
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      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 0 57 43",
          "word": "head-game"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 0 57 43",
          "word": "headgame"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "head game"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "head games",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
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    },
    {
      "form": "head gaming",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "head gamed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "head gamed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
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  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "head game (third-person singular simple present head games, present participle head gaming, simple past and past participle head gamed)",
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
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      "alt_of": [
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          "word": "head-game"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2007, Richard Morris, A Denial of Aesthetic Principle, page 29",
          "text": "All to be head gamed with official lures, which look on, through their guarded masks.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
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      "id": "en-head_game-en-verb-~LoOABuY",
      "links": [
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          "head-game#English"
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      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "psychological manipulation",
          "word": "henkinen painostus"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "psychological manipulation",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Psychospielchen"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "head game"
}
{
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    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
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    "English nouns",
    "English verbs"
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  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "head games",
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  "lang_code": "en",
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      "categories": [
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        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2013, Sereena Nightshade, Black Market, page 226",
          "text": "The show boating, head games, phony fronts and near literal spider's webs tossed out as glistening and beautiful nets to capture the prize or the perceived prize always amazed me.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2014, Derek J. Goodman, The Contamination of Sandra Wolfe",
          "text": "Sandra got the distinct impression that he was playing some kind of head game with her.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015, Michael Moorcock -, The Whispering Swarm: Book One of The Sanctuary of the White Friars",
          "text": "I don't do moody or wounded or stern. I can't play head games.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An attempt to psychologically manipulate or intimidate someone."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "psychologically",
          "psychologically"
        ],
        [
          "manipulate",
          "manipulate"
        ],
        [
          "intimidate",
          "intimidate"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) An attempt to psychologically manipulate or intimidate someone."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1900, The School Journal - Volume 61, page 669",
          "text": "Another was able to bring into popularity puzzles, conundrums, and quiet \" head games\" or contests of memory and quick-wittedness.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2014, Kay J. Mahne, Capturing Minds by Capturing Hearts",
          "text": "Learning is definitely a head game.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2014, Robert C. Vallieres, Jacquelyn M. Howard, Wounded Warriors: A Soldier's Story of Healing through Birds, page 28",
          "text": "Distance plays into the head game of “what if.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A mental pursuit or obsession."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "mental",
          "mental"
        ],
        [
          "pursuit",
          "pursuit"
        ],
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          "obsession",
          "obsession"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2009, Dennis P. Hollinger, The Meaning of Sex: Christian Ethics and the Moral Life, page 238",
          "text": "...with degrading sexual lyrics such as the lyrics by rap artist Lil' Kim: “When it comes to sex don't test my skills, cause my head game will have you head over heels.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, Wahida Clark, What's Really Hood!: A Collection of Tales from the Streets",
          "text": "They both knew the reason he always came back. Her head game was excellent.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012, Jackie Ricci, Michael “El Jefe” Archer, Trunk-Space: The Retribution of a Psychopath, page 119",
          "text": "She went to work like the cock-sucking champion that she was. This Bitch had always had crazy “head game.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Skill at fellatio."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Skill",
          "skill"
        ],
        [
          "fellatio",
          "fellatio"
        ]
      ]
    }
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  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "head-game"
    },
    {
      "word": "headgame"
    }
  ],
  "word": "head game"
}

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    "English verbs"
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  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "head games",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
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    },
    {
      "form": "head gaming",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
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    },
    {
      "form": "head gamed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "head gamed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "head game (third-person singular simple present head games, present participle head gaming, simple past and past participle head gamed)",
      "name": "en-verb"
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  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
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      "alt_of": [
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          "word": "head-game"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
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      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2007, Richard Morris, A Denial of Aesthetic Principle, page 29",
          "text": "All to be head gamed with official lures, which look on, through their guarded masks.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of head-game"
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      "links": [
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          "head-game#English"
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      "word": "head-game"
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  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "psychological manipulation",
      "word": "henkinen painostus"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "psychological manipulation",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Psychospielchen"
    }
  ],
  "word": "head game"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-05 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.