heady

adjective

ˈhe-dē 

headier; headiest

1

a

: willful, rash

heady opinions

b

: violent, impetuous

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

ˈhe-də-lē 

adverb

headiness

ˈhe-dē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• ecstatic
• elated
• elevated
• enrapt
• enraptured
• entranced
• euphoric
• exhilarated
• giddy
• intoxicated
• rapt
• rapturous
• rhapsodic
• rhapsodical

Examples of heady in a Sentence

The plane soared to heady heights.

They were heady with their newfound success.

Recent Examples on the Web

Their speeches, at their headiest, inspire hope and a kind of holy terror. —Casey Cep, New Yorker, 6 June 2025

So heady, in fact, that this adult got lost in the metaphor. —Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 2 June 2025

But know that a little goes a long way with this heady combo of Gosling’s Black Seal and Amber rums mixed with orange, pineapple, and lemon juices plus fruit liqueurs and falernum. —Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2025

More Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images Now, Edwards has drawn a heady, Hall of Fame comparison from his most senior Timberwolves teammate. —Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for heady

• ready
• reddi
• steady
• teddy
• thready
• already
• unsteady

Kids Definition

heady

adjective

ˈhed-ē 

headier; headiest

1

: willful sense 1, rash

2

: likely to make one giddy

heady wine

a heady height

headily

ˈhed-ə-lē 

adverb

headiness

ˈhed-ē-nəs 

noun