kopflos
panicked
Agitated, confused, or panicked and therefore acting without thinking clearly.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Unfall liefen die Menschen kopflos durcheinander.
After the accident, people ran around in panicked confusion.
kopflos
panicked / headless
kopflos – kopfloser – am kopflosesten
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Meanings
kopflos
headless
Without a head or without a clearly recognizable head.
EXAMPLE
Die kopflose Statue steht seit Jahren im Museum.
The headless statue has stood in the museum for years.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry kopflos, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Comparison
| basic form | kopflos |
|---|---|
| comparative | kopfloser |
| superlative | am kopflosesten |
After der, die, das
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -e | -e | -e | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -e | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to kopflos.
After ein, eine
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to kopflos.
Without article
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -e |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -e |
| dat. | -em | -er | -em | -en |
| gen. | -en | -er | -en | -er |
Add the ending to kopflos.
Usage tips
Word structure
'Kopflos' (panicked / headless) is made up of 'Kopf' (head) and '-los' (-less). The suffix '-los' indicates that something is missing; depending on the context, this can be literal or figurative.
EXAMPLE
Vor lauter Aufregung war sie völlig kopflos.
She was so worked up that she completely lost her head.
Context clue
When referring to people or their behavior, 'kopflos' (panicked) is usually figurative and describes acting without thinking. When referring to objects, figures, or body parts, however, 'kopflos' (headless) often indicates the actual absence of a head.
EXAMPLE
Nach der Warnung rannten die Besucher kopflos aus dem Gebäude.
After the warning, the panicked visitors ran out of the building.
Im Keller stand eine kopflose Schaufensterpuppe.
There was a headless mannequin in the basement.
Typical collocations
In its figurative sense, 'kopflos' (panicked) is often used with verbs describing actions or reactions. Typical combinations are 'kopflos handeln' (to act in a panic), 'kopflos reagieren' (to react in a panic), and 'kopflos davonlaufen' (to run away in a panic).
EXAMPLE
In der plötzlichen Krise reagierte der Geschäftsführer kopflos.
During the sudden crisis, the managing director reacted in a panic.
In real life
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