heed
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
noun
verb
Usage
What does heed mean? To heed something is to listen to it, pay careful attention to it, or otherwise observe or acknowledge it in some way—and often to take action on it.To heed a warning is to listen to it and do what it says to do (or not do what it says not to do). To heed a request is honor it—to do what is requested. To heed calls for reform is to acknowledge them, and, sometimes, to actually follow through and make reforms.Heed can also be used as a noun meaning careful attention or observation. It’s most often used in the phrases take heed, give heed, and pay heed, which all mean to listen or pay attention, as in Take heed to what he says, for he is very wise. To pay no heed to someone is to disregard or ignore them.The adjective unheeded means disregarded, despite having been heard or noted. An unheeded warning is one that has been ignored.Example: I should have heeded your warnings, but instead I ignored them.
Other Word Forms
- heeder noun
- heedful adjective
- heedfully adverb
- heedfulness noun
- unheeded adjective
- unheededly adverb
- unheeding adjective
- unheedingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of heed
First recorded before 900; Middle English heden, Old English hēdan; cognate with German hüten “to guard, protect”; akin to hood 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As any habitual social media user, King's College London professor Alan Read did not pay much heed to the occasional deepfakes that would flash up on his feed.
From BBC
Investors would do well to heed the old Confucian proverb: “Be prudent and exercise caution.”
From Barron's
Investors would do well to heed the old Confucian proverb: “Be prudent and exercise caution.”
From Barron's
Salami said he hoped the government in Israel would heed the film's example to "make the way for peace... and something different".
From Barron's
It was an argument for the law paying no heed to rank or royalty - and no-one being above the reach of justice.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
