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Glite Dictionary
to head home

to head home

111 1.5
Go back to your home after being somewhere else
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : volver a casa
  • With my sister's hand in mine, I headed home along Outer Drive.

We're saying goodbye to Eva, she's heading home, and we're on to Munich.

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Examples

  • After finishing her shift at work, she decided to head home to relax.

  • When there was still no answer, she slowly headed home, desolate.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • So quick dinner and then we're gonna head home and we're gonna sit in our new sitting in the front room.

  • Today it's Thursday and we're heading home tomorrow which is Friday.

  • My son was heading home from college for spring break last night.

    I've Had It

  • I'm going to go get back in the car and head home and eat my lunch.

  • I just wanted to let you know I'm going to head home tomorrow.

    Along Came Wanda (2021)

  • I think I'm heading home.

    In Bruges (2008)

  • Heading east again, heading home, I looked out the plane window at the Blue Ridge Mountains.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Harry retrieved his shoes, made one final, fruitless check of the apartment, and headed home.

    Fiction book (1995)

Synonyms

to return
vsto head home
∞ 1.0

Go back to a place, state or activity

is limited to going specifically to a place of residence after being elsewhere
to go home
vsto head home
∞ 1.0

To return to the place where you live

is often used especially after an activity rather than any return
to romp home
vsto head home
6.2

To run home in a happy, playful way

is neutral and does not imply playful or energetic movement

How Quickly

to race
91 1.0
to rush away
2 2.5
to head home
111 1.5

Surface Forms

head home infinitive
headed home past
headed home past participle
heading home present participle
heads home third person singular

Morphology

head + home

The meaning 'to go or return to your home' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'head' (to move or make for a particular direction) with 'home' (toward one's place of residence). This verb + directional adverb pattern is common in English and cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily understand the expression.

Etymology

Head home comes from a simple image: to head somewhere means to move toward it, so you picture turning toward your home and walking there. That's why it means 'to go or return to your home'.