heady

1 of 2

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

headiness

2 of 2

noun

head·​i·​ness -dēnə̇s 

-din-

plural -es

1

: rashness, headstrongness

headiness of youth

2

: intoxicating quality

the headiness of a spring morning

a perfume with a headiness impossible to describe

Synonyms of heady

Adjective

• ecstatic
• giddy
• euphoric

Examples of heady in a Sentence

Adjective

The plane soared to heady heights.

They were heady with their newfound success.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

But for now, the heady, political, Lindelofian stuff never quite melts together with the small-town detective stuff, which is too inherently austere to accommodate the co-creator's maximalist sensibility. — Judy Berman, Time, 14 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

The Wachowskis’ ballet of heady sci-fi concepts and awe-inspiring action has aged remarkably well in the 27 years since its release. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026

In the heady ’90s, Harvey Nichols was an icon of British luxury. — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 13 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English hedinesse, from hedy heady + -nesse -ness

First Known Use

Adjective

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