heed

1 of 2

verb

heeded; heeding; heeds

intransitive verb

: to pay attention

transitive verb

: to give consideration or attention to : mind
heed what he says
heed the call

heed

2 of 2

noun

Examples of heed in a Sentence

Verb 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 Noun 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 on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
President Biden's failure to heed the anti-war movement and hold Israel accountable cost his party in a similar way as Lyndon Johnson's did in 1968. Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024 If older generations heed this call to action, Gen Z will be better positioned to achieve its potential and make a lasting impact for good. Molly Peck, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024
Noun
The city’s famously progressive voters took heed, refusing the tax by a 2-to-1 margin. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024 Texans need to take heed, watch their local officials, and prepare today and tomorrow before the storm makes landfall early Monday morning. Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 7 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for heed 

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

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

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of heed was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near heed

Cite this Entry

“Heed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heed. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

heed

1 of 2 verb
1
: to pay attention
2
: to take notice of : mind
heed my words

heed

2 of 2 noun

More from Merriam-Webster on heed

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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