headway
/ˈhedweɪ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhedweɪ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhed-ˌwā/ (ame, mw)
headway — noun
1. movement toward a goal or positive development in a task, project, or situation
movement toward a goal or positive development in a task, project, or situation — almost always used in the phrase 'make headway'
The rescue team made slow headway through the thick forest after the earthquake.
collocation: make slow headway
Ananya was pleased to see that her team had made significant headway on the marketing report.
collocation: make significant headway on [topic]
Despite weeks of negotiation, the two sides made little headway in reaching a peace agreement.
Kwame was making good headway in his Chinese lessons and could finally order food in Mandarin.
The charity made steady headway with its plan to plant trees across the city.
- progress
more general and neutral in tone; 'headway' often implies some difficulty or slow pace
- advancement
more formal, frequently used for careers, technology, or systematic development
- forward movement
more literal, describing physical motion rather than abstract progress
文法句型
make + headway
make + headway + on/with/in/towards
用法筆記
Almost always used with the verb 'make'. Does not take an article ('a' or 'the') — it is uncountable. The phrase 'make headway' is fixed; saying 'gain headway' or 'have headway' is unusual.
常見錯誤
2. the amount of vertical space between an obstacle (such as a bridge, arch, or cei
the amount of vertical space between an obstacle (such as a bridge, arch, or ceiling) and the person or vehicle passing under it
João checked the headway under the low bridge before driving his van under it.
headway + under [structure]
The sign warned that the tunnel had only three metres of headway for vehicles.
headway measured in units
The headway in the old cellar was less than five feet, so Ingrid had to stoop.
Before buying the boat, Omar measured the headway between the water and the dock roof.
Mei-Lin measured the headway under the garden arch before moving the sofa inside.
- headroom
more common in everyday speech; 'headroom' typically refers to space above a person's head, while 'headway' is broader (vehicle clearance under a bridge)
- clearance
the most general term for the space between two objects; used in engineering and driving contexts
- vertical space
descriptive rather than lexicalised; used when explaining the concept
文法句型
(the) headway + under/between
headway + of + [measurement]
用法筆記
Used as an uncountable noun describing a physical dimension. Often appears with a quantifier ('three metres of headway') or in the pattern 'the headway under/between [something]'. More technical than the everyday word 'headroom', but the two are interchangeable in many contexts.