head over heels
UK /ˌhɛd əʊ.və ˈhiːlz/ · US /ˌhɛd oʊ.vɚ ˈhilz/ adverb, adjective
- adverb Tumbling upside down; somersaulting. “She tripped and rolled head over heels down the hill.”
- adverb At top speed; frantically. “Hearing the noise in the dark, the children ran head over heels back home.”
- adverb (usually with in love) Hopelessly; madly; to distraction; deeply; utterly.
- adjective Hopelessly smitten; madly in love.
Synonyms
arse over tit ass over teakettle base over apex full tilt full throttle like mad head over ears heels over head topsy-turvy topsy-turvily in great confusion
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).
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “head over heels”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details