head over heels

Meaning

Adv

1. (not-comparable) Tumbling upside down; somersaulting.
2. (not-comparable) At top speed; frantically.
3. (not-comparable, usually) Hopelessly; madly; to distraction; deeply; utterly.

Adj

Hopelessly smitten; madly in love.

Synonyms

topsy-turvy

headlong

upside down

topsy-turvily

upside-down

heels over head

in great confusion

helter-skelter

inverted

madly

maniacally

furiously

capsized

ass over teakettle

wildly

lickety split

hell-for-leather

tumble over

slam-bang

head down

headfirst

harum-scarum

Translations

Hals über Kopf

cabeza abajo

cul par-dessus tête

patas arriba

kopfüber

Länge nach

frenetisch

ακρωτήριο πέρα γέρνω

irr

précipitamment

comme un fou

frénétiquement

jambes en l’air

les quatre fers en l’air

Kopf runter

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˌhɛd oʊ.vɚ ˈhilz/

Etymology

Attested from the 14ᵗʰ century onwards, originally as heels over head, which better rendered the notion of things being upside down (head over heels is the standard state of being).