Synonyms of heed

heed 1 of 2

noun

ˈhēd 

1

as in attention

a state of being aware

took heed of the students' learning styles so as to prepare appropriate lessons

Synonyms & Similar Words

• attention
• awareness
• note
• notice
• mindfulness
• ear
• knowledge
• mind
• eye
• observation
• cognizance
• consciousness
• care
• observance
• consideration
• regard
• concern
• advertence
• advertency
• understanding
• watch
• thought
• perception
• recognition
• advisement
• grasp
• discernment
• hyperawareness
• hyperconsciousness
• apprehension

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• disregard
• neglect
• unawareness
• obliviousness

2

as in care

strict attentiveness to what one is doing

pay heed to what you're doing with that knife while you're talking

Synonyms & Similar Words

• attention
• care
• carefulness
• pains
• effort
• conscientiousness
• scrupulousness
• meticulousness
• precision
• heedfulness
• concentration
• observation
• focus
• meticulosity
• vigilance
• watchfulness
• responsibility
• observance
• closeness
• mindfulness
• alertness
• bother
• trouble
• painstaking
• advertence
• exactness
• advertency
• punctiliousness
• particularity
• irreproachability
• dutifulness
• irreproachableness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• negligence
• heedlessness
• inattentiveness
• inattention
• inadvertence
• inadvertency
• inobservance

heed

2 of 2

verb

ˈhēd 

1

as in to follow

to take notice of and be guided by

if we had heeded the ranger's advice, we might not have gotten lost

Synonyms & Similar Words

• follow
• note
• obey
• regard
• observe
• listen (to)
• respect
• consider
• watch
• mind
• hear
• contemplate
• weigh
• ponder
• keep
• notice
• conform (to)
• see
• mull
• comply (with)
• attend (to)
• hearken (to)
• mark
• hark (to)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ignore
• disregard
• dismiss
• tune out
• neglect
• scorn
• pass over
• discount
• defy
• gloss (over)
• shrug off
• brush (aside or off)
• flout
• slight
• pooh-pooh
• snub
• gloze (over)

2

as in to listen

to pay attention especially through the act of hearing

that boy never heeds when I caution him about running with his shoelaces untied

Synonyms & Similar Words

• listen
• hear
• hearken
• harken
• hark
• attend
• mind
• prick up one's ears

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ignore
• disregard
• tune out
• discount

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of heed

Noun

The set spans just 14 months — March 1979 to May 1980 — but Joy Division had a wide repertoire and never played the same set two nights in a row, paying no heed to what was on an album or single or the audience had ever heard before; many deep cuts were played regularly. — Jem Aswad, Variety, 25 June 2026

The move means the rest of the AI industry will be forced to take heed of the authority asserted by Lutnick, and BIS can invoke other powers if the specific provisions used against Anthropic are contested. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 19 June 2026

Verb

During the primary against Elliott, Lamont did not heed early warnings that the liberal lawmaker from Hamden was on track to qualify for a primary and public campaign financing unless the governor pushed back. — Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026

When medical professionals don’t heed their patients’ concerns, the consequences can be frustrating, dire or even deadly. — Amanda Schupak, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026