What does "skinhead" mean?
Someone with a shaved head.
Skinhead
/ˈskɪn.hɛd/ noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Someone with a shaved head.
- Grammar: skinhead is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: baldhead, baldpate, baldy, barbarian.
- Useful contrasts: long hair, mainstream youth, non skinhead.
- Usage evidence: Layla received threats from a skinhead movement.
How to use "skinhead"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "skinhead" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "skinhead" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "skinhead" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "skinhead" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "skinhead" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "baldhead" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "skinhead", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Someone with a shaved head.
- 2 a person whose head is bald or shaved wordnet
- 3 A member of a subculture that arose among working-class youth in late 1960s England or its diaspora, defined by close-cropped or shaven heads and working-class clothing, and often associated with violence and white-supremacist or anti-immigrant principles.
"Their rules haven't changed: Skinheads are very young, mostly between the ages of 13 and 18, and they come from strictly working class backgrounds. They wear short‐ankled denims, T‐shirts, suspenders and heavy boots known as Bovverboots (Botherboots), and their hair is shorn to an eighth of an inch all over their skulls. They dance the Reggae, a West Indian shuffle, and they drink Coca Cola and they whip up riots at soccer games."
- 4 a member of any of several British or American groups consisting predominantly of young people who shave their heads; some engage in white supremacist and anti-immigrant activities and this leads to the perception that all skinheads are racist and violent wordnet
Antonyms
long hairmainstream youthnon skinheadnonviolent individual
Example
"Layla received threats from a skinhead movement."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "skinhead"?
Common synonyms include: baldhead, baldpate, baldy, barbarian, buzz cut, gangster.
How do you use "skinhead" in a sentence?
Layla received threats from a skinhead movement.
How do you pronounce "skinhead"?
Pronounced /ˈskɪn.hɛd/.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)kenH- Proto-Germanic *skinþąder. Middle English skyn English skin Proto-Indo-European *kap- Proto-Indo-European *káput- Proto-Germanic *haubudą Old English hēafod Middle English heed English head English skinhead From skin + head.