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 of heady

• ecstatic
• giddy
• euphoric

Examples of heady in a Sentence

The plane soared to heady heights.

They were heady with their newfound success.

Recent Examples on the Web

That aspect of my craft, my love of the visual medium, and my connection with those heady words written by my favorite writers didn’t have to compete, with one winning out over the others. — Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026

In the film, the German documentary filmmaker considers the heady question of what the internet might be doing to us humans. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026

In 1994, as Chinese reformer Deng Xiaoping’s market liberalization unleashed a heady entrepreneurial spirit across the People’s Republic, Wang quit his job at a vocational college and invented the world’s first automatic soymilk maker. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 18 Aug. 2026

These are heady days for the Cubs, who have to resist the urge to take a deep breath with the division race with the Milwaukee Brewers tightening. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026

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