spearhead
/ˈspɪə.hed/ (bre, ipa) · [spˈɪrhˌɛd] /ˈspɪr.hed/ (ame, ipa) · [spˈɪrhˌɛd] /ˈspir-ˌhed How to pronounce spearhead (audio)/ (ame, mw) · /ˈspɪəhed/ (bre, ipa) · [spˈɪrhˌɛd] /ˈspɪrhed/ (ame, ipa)
spearhead — verb
- spearheadpresent simple I / you / we / they
- spearheads3rd person singular
- spearheading-ing form
- spearheadedpast simple
1. to take charge of a campaign, attack, or organized effort and push it forward, a
to take charge of a campaign, attack, or organized effort and push it forward, acting as its most visible and driving figure.
Kwame spearheaded the campaign to bring clean water taps to every school in his district.
spearhead + [campaign] — typical object: an organized effort
A group of retired nurses spearheaded the protest against cuts to the local hospital.
plural subject driving a public protest
Renata was asked to spearhead the company's first push into the South Korean market.
Two young lawyers spearheaded the legal challenge that finally overturned the unfair fine.
The general chose Captain Iris to spearhead the dawn attack on the bridge.
- lead
general; lead works for any direction-giving role, while spearhead stresses being the first and most active driver.
- head up
informal; head up describes formal leadership of a team or unit, while spearhead carries a sense of pushing momentum forward.
- champion
champion focuses on publicly arguing for a cause, while spearhead focuses on actually driving the work.
- pioneer
pioneer implies being first in a new field; spearhead can apply to any focused effort, new or not.
- follow
to act under someone else's lead rather than driving the effort yourself.
文法句型
spearhead + [campaign / drive / effort / attack]
用法筆記
Object is almost always an organized effort with a goal — a campaign, attack, drive, initiative, project, or movement. Avoid using it for everyday tasks (you spearhead a fundraising drive, not the weekly shopping). Often paired with a single visible leader, even when a team does the work.
常見錯誤
spearhead — noun
1. a person, team, or unit that takes the leading role in pushing forward a campaig
a person, team, or unit that takes the leading role in pushing forward a campaign, attack, or organized effort, while others follow behind.
Sivan became the spearhead of the student movement for cheaper textbooks.
the spearhead of + [movement] — most typical noun pattern
A small team of doctors was the spearhead of the vaccination drive across the islands.
small group as the leading unit of a wider effort
Christopher's design studio is the spearhead of a new green building movement in Manila.
The Third Brigade served as the spearhead of the morning assault on the river crossing.
- leader
general; leader describes any person in charge, while spearhead stresses being the front edge of a focused push.
- vanguard
more formal; vanguard often names the most advanced or radical group, while spearhead names the part actively driving forward.
- driving force
abstract; describes any cause behind progress, while spearhead is the visible leader at the front.
文法句型
the spearhead of + [a campaign / movement / attack]
用法筆記
Usually preceded by 'the' and followed by 'of + [an organized effort]'. Distinguish from sense 2 (the spear-tip): sense 1 is people or a team acting as the leading force, never a physical point.
常見錯誤
2. the sharp metal or stone point fixed to the end of a spear, designed to pierce w
the sharp metal or stone point fixed to the end of a spear, designed to pierce when the spear is thrown or thrust.
Élise lifted a bronze spearhead from the dig and brushed the soil off its edge.
concrete object: lifted + bronze spearhead
The museum displayed a row of stone spearheads carved by hunters thousands of years ago.
plural archaeological context: stone spearheads
Tuan sharpened the iron spearhead against a wet stone before tying it to the shaft.
An old hunter showed Harper how to fit a flint spearhead onto a wooden pole.
- spear point
everyday equivalent; spear point names the same part in modern descriptive prose.
- spear tip
casual; spear tip is the most common phrasing outside archaeology.
- lance head
narrower; lance head refers specifically to the point of a lance rather than any spear.
文法句型
the spearhead + of + [a spear / lance]
用法筆記
Almost always used in historical, archaeological, or military-history contexts. Distinguish from sense 1 (the leading person): if you cannot pick the spearhead up, it is sense 1, not sense 2.