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

For heady listeners, this will be a field day; for others, a test of faith. —Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 22 May 2026

Employing a fictional slasher movie of yesteryear as the portal into a conversation about self and desire, this is heady, strange stuff, frustrating at times but captivating in both its confusion and its honesty. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026

The confidence was back, bolstered by a heady evening spent emotionally one-upping one another. —Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 20 May 2026

During his inaugural season, Colbert welcomed a heady musical guest list including Mavis Staples (the first performer on the show), Florence and the Machine, Ed Sheeran and Darlene Love. —Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 20 May 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