noun
headspace
HED-spayss
Headspace (noun) means a person's mental or emotional state, especially their capacity to cope with something at a particular moment. Example: “I'm not in the right headspace to talk about this tonight.”
noun
1
informal A person's mental or emotional state, especially their capacity to cope with something at a particular moment.
"I'm not in the right headspace to talk about this tonight."
"Quitting the job gave her the headspace to write again."
2
The empty space left above a substance inside a sealed container, such as the gap between wine and the cork.
"Leave about two centimetres of headspace before sealing the jars."
3
The vertical clearance above something, such as the room above your head in a loft or vehicle.
"There isn't enough headspace in the attic to stand upright."
How to use headspace
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishHow your mind is doing, or how much room your mind has.
When to use it
The mental sense is informal but extremely common in everyday speech, therapy and wellbeing writing. The container and clearance senses are technical and neutral.
Memory tip
Usually uncountable in the mental sense: say some headspace, not a headspace.
Trace the full origin ↓
Common pairings
in a good headspace
the right headspace
clear some headspace
give me headspace
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I'm not in the right _____ to talk about this tonight.
Etymology
From head + space.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for headspace
See all rhymes for headspace →Frequently asked questions
What does it mean to be in a bad headspace?
It means your mental state is low or unsettled — anxious, distracted, low in mood or overwhelmed — rather than that anything specific has happened. People use it to signal that they are struggling to think clearly or cope, without going into detail.
What is the difference between headspace and headroom?
Headroom is almost always physical: the clearance above your head, or spare capacity in a budget or an audio signal. Headspace covers that physical sense too but is far more often used for mental state, which headroom never is.
What is the meaning of headspace?
"headspace" (noun) means a person's mental or emotional state, especially their capacity to cope with something at a particular moment.
What is another word for headspace?
Other words for "headspace" include frame of mind, state of mind, mindset, mental space, headroom, clearance.
