headier; headiest
1
a
: willful, rash
heady opinions
2
a
: tending to intoxicate or make giddy or elated
heady wine
being in such distinguished company was a heady experience
b
: giddy, exhilarated
heady with his success
c
: rich
a heady sauce
a heady variety
d
: impressive
a man of heady accomplishments
3
a
: marked by or showing good judgment : shrewd, intelligent
b
: intellectually stimulating or demanding
headily adverb
headiness noun

Examples of heady in a Sentence

The plane soared to heady heights. They were heady with their newfound success.
Recent Examples on the Web Sassicaia 2021 offers a heady bouquet of raspberry, blackberry, licorice, and clove with a whiff of rose petal. Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 15 Mar. 2024 Here, jokes about the city’s storied landmarks and its bureaucratic bottlenecks help ground some of the sitcom’s headier themes. Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2024 This, then, is the heady point in time, the cultural crux, in which the Clapton letters were written. Guy Martin, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 For many South Africans, the heady promises of that democratic transition have largely been left unfulfilled. Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 2 Mar. 2024 This is not an unreasonable multiple, considering Nvidia’s heady growth. Trefis Team, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Its port used to be a heady, multicultural crossroad where the dominant language was Russian. Claire Harbage, NPR, 24 Feb. 2024 In the hands of the endlessly inventive comedian, the tale of a boy who pulls himself up by his bootstraps and seeks out fame and fortune becomes a madcap delight complete with a zingy script, cartoonish punch-ups, collapsing sets, and a heady dose of magical realism. Radhika Seth, Vogue, 22 Feb. 2024 Investors were richly rewarded; for one heady stretch in the 2010s, Boeing’s shares outperformed those of Apple, Microsoft, and Alphabet. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heady.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of heady was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near heady

Cite this Entry

“Heady.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heady. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

heady

adjective
headier; headiest
1
2
: likely to make one giddy
heady wine
a heady height
headily adverb
headiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on heady

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