heed

verb \ ˈhēd \

Definition of heed

intransitive verb

:to pay attention

transitive verb

:to give consideration or attention to :mind

heed what he says

heed the call

See heed defined for English-language learners

See heed defined for kids

Examples of heed in a Sentence

It may be possible to desensitize a cat to being petted for extended periods. … A safer solution is to consistently limit petting time, and to heed the cat's cues that she's had enough. —Cat Watch, August 2008
In-line skating is not for everyone, and even those for whom it is ideally suited can skate into trouble, especially if they fail to heed safety precautions. —Jane E. Brody, New York Times, 2 May 1991
However, he should heed an axiom from the pretelevision age: physician, heal thyself. —George F. Will, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 1986
She failed to heed the warnings.
if we had heeded the ranger's advice, we might not have gotten lost

Recent Examples of heed from the Web

Among the study's findings was the fact that respondents are more than 90 percent likely when given a mandatory evacuation order to actually heed official instructions.

— wilborn p. nobles iii, NOLA.com, "Most Louisianians evacuate to Texas during a hurricane, study says," 29 Aug. 2017
Bo didn’t heed his uncle’s advice, and neither have two of his cousins.

— rachel roberts, idahostatesman, "Hall of Famer Dee Pickett told nephew not to rodeo. He didn’t listen.," 18 Aug. 2017
The panels were largely ceremonial, and the Trump administration has shown a remarkable willingness to heed the demands of big business, even if big business has this week shown a remarkable willingness to chide the Trump administration.

— annie lowrey, The Atlantic, "Trump's Faux Breakup With His Manufacturing Council," 16 Aug. 2017
Ba didn’t heed the mess while living and in death his mean squint goes right past it.

— Longreads, "And How Much of These Hills Is Gold," 3 Aug. 2017
Ariana Cubillos AP Though roadblocks from Sunday still stood Monday in eastern Caracas, an opposition stronghold, only a few people heeded leaders’ call to protest at their homes and offices noon.

— patricia mazzei and franco ordoñez, miamiherald, "U.S. sanctions Venezuelan President Maduro after ‘sham’ vote," 31 July 2017
The gallery, finally empty of protesters, heeded his words.

— rachel bluth, Kaiser Health News, "Postcard From Capitol Hill: What YouTube Didn’t Show You In Senate Health Care Vote," 25 July 2017
Watch her fangirl over Wolverine in-person, start on her journey of self-discovery, and fight for the reputation of an entire generation, all while trying to heed advice from her parents and religious leaders.

— sam maggs, Marie Claire, "A Feminist Ranking of Female Superheroes," 25 July 2017
That led to creation of the ultimately winning group, which then heeded a Justice requirement to raise $11.2 million, or essentially the projected losses for the next two and a half years.

— vanityfair.com, "Are the Lords of Golf in the Tank with Trump?," 13 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'heed.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of heed

Middle English, from Old English hēdan; akin to Old High German huota guard, Old English hōd hood

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

heed Synonyms

Synonyms

follow, listen (to), mind, note, observe, regard, watch

Antonyms

disregard, ignore, tune out

Related Words

consider, contemplate, mull, ponder, weigh; comply (with), conform (to), keep, obey, respect; attend (to), hark (to), hear, hearken (to); mark, notice, see

Near Antonyms

brush (aside or off), discount, dismiss, gloss (over), gloze (over), neglect, pass over, pooh-pooh (also pooh), scorn, shrug off; defy, flout; slight, snub

heed

noun \ ˈhēd \

Definition of heed

:attention, notice

See heed defined for English-language learners

Examples of heed in a Sentence

Neither the British ministry nor the British Parliament welcomed American voices in determining policy in 1763, or ever. The British government paid little heed to the public press on either side of the water. —Edmund S. Morgan, New York Review of Books, 16 Nov. 2006
She retrained as a doctor and it was through her pioneering research with cancer patients in the early 1960s (she showed how narcotics could be used without adverse effect) that the medical profession began to take heed. —Kate Kellaway, Prospect, January 2003
Imagine swimming along with playful seals and then diving down to see such rarities as batfish. … Fleets of hammerhead sharks pay divers no heed, nor do the penguins move out of the way. —Town & Country, January 1983
took heed of the student's learning disability so as to arrive at reasonable expectations for him
pay heed to what you're doing with that knife while you're talking

Recent Examples of heed from the Web

Please take heed: A tiny sprinkle of vegetable powder infused into a crunchy snack is not the same as eating a serving of vegetables.

— cara rosenbloom, charlotteobserver, "The lies you’re fed: 6 ‘healthy’ foods that aren’t," 22 Aug. 2017
Here's hoping the tech industry will take heed as the Pao Effect scales.

— ellen mcgirt, Fortune, "Ellen Pao On Sexism and Inclusion In Tech," 22 Aug. 2017
Please take heed: A tiny sprinkle of vegetable powder infused into a crunchy snack is not the same as eating a serving of vegetables.

— cara rosenbloom, charlotteobserver, "The lies you’re fed: 6 ‘healthy’ foods that aren’t," 22 Aug. 2017
Terrorists, take heed: America will never let up until you are dealt a lasting defeat.

— nora kelly, The Atlantic, "Full Transcript: Donald Trump Announces His Afghanistan Policy," 21 Aug. 2017
Please take heed: A tiny sprinkle of vegetable powder infused into a crunchy snack is not the same as eating a serving of vegetables.

— cara rosenbloom, chicagotribune.com, "6 'healthy' foods that really aren't," 15 Aug. 2017
Mom paid us little heed, but the cubs were very curious.

— colin diltz, The Seattle Times, "Reader’s Lens | Bored Mama Bear, curious cubs," 9 Aug. 2017
Kim Jong Un should take heed of the United Nations Security Council's unified voice and statements from governments the world over, who agree the DPRK poses a threat to global security and stability.

— Alaska Dispatch News, "War with North Korea not imminent, officials say, but U.S. would still win," 9 Aug. 2017
But the 35-year-old champion has never paid much heed to expectations.

— jessica diehl, Vanities, "See Pregnant Serena Williams’s Vanity Fair Cover Shoot," 27 June 2017

Origin and Etymology of heed

see ¹heed

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

heed Synonyms

Synonyms

advertence, advertency, awareness, cognizance, consciousness, ear, eye, attention, knowledge, mindfulness, note, notice, observance, observation

Antonyms

heedlessness, inattentiveness, negligence

Related Words

hyperawareness, hyperconsciousness; advisement, care, concern, consideration, regard, watch; apprehension, discernment, grasp, mind, perception, recognition, thought, understanding

Near Antonyms

disregard, neglect, obliviousness, unawareness

HEED Defined for English Language Learners

heed

verb

Definition of heed for English Language Learners

: to pay attention to (advice, a warning, etc.)

heed

noun

Definition of heed for English Language Learners

: attention or notice

HEED Defined for Kids

heed

verb \ ˈhēd \

Definition of heed for Students

heeded; heeding

:to pay attention to :mind

Heed my warning.

heed

noun

Definition of heed for Students

:attention 1

The wild dogs had been to the house … and he had paid no heed to them.
—Scott O'Dell, Island of the Blue Dolphins

—

heedful

adjective

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