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
• 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’s after this heady initiative had suffered cuts for the past two years. —Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025

Go barefoot across the white sands of Bequia and breathe in the heady scent of nutmeg, cinnamon, and other homegrown spices in Grenada. —AFAR Media, 31 July 2025

Rosario is a heady pickup for Cashman and the Yankees, even after acquiring Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies on Friday. —Mike Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 July 2025

The Angels shortstop made a heady defensive play in the top of the 10th inning and then a game-winning hit in the bottom of the inning, leading the Angels to a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Friday night. —Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 26 July 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