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heed
[ heed ]
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
- to give attention; have regard.
noun
- careful attention; notice; observation (usually with give or take ).
Synonyms: watchfulness, vigilance, caution, care, consideration
heed
/ hiːd /
noun
- close and careful attention; notice (often in the phrases give, pay, or take heed )
verb
- to pay close attention to (someone or something)
Derived Forms
- ˈheedful, adjective
- ˈheeder, noun
- ˈheedfulness, noun
- ˈheedfully, adverb
Other Words From
- heeder noun
- un·heeded adjective
- un·heeded·ly adverb
- un·heeding adjective
- un·heeding·ly adverb
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of heed1
Example Sentences
The malevolent among us will surely take heed.
Netanyahu, wary of the collapse of his coalition government which has been dependent on support from the ultra-Orthodox parties, paid no heed.
The American public seems to have heeded that call.
Many students said it was about time school board candidates played more heed to them.
According to Bloemeke, the SBA has yet to heed the court’s ruling.
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More About Heed
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.
Where does heed come from?
The first records of the word heed come from before 900. It comes from the Old English word hēdan, which is related to the German hüten, meaning “to guard” or “to protect.”
Today, heed can sometimes sound old-fashioned, and terms like pay attention to or listen to are more commonly used. But heed packs a lot of meaning into just four letters, since it usually means “pay attention to and then act on.” Perhaps because of this and how short it is, heed is often used in news headlines, as in Governor heeds calls for tax reform or Residents urged to heed evacuation order.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to heed?
- heeder (noun)
- heedful (adjective)
- heedfulness (noun)
What are some synonyms for heed?
What are some words that share a root or word element with heed?
What are some words that often get used in discussing heed?
How is heed used in real life?
Heed is especially used in the context of warnings, advice, requests, and calls for some kind of action.
Prepare 👏 prepare 👏 prepare 👏
We do what we do so @NHC_Atlantic can give you as much of a heads up as possible. Listen to your local gov’t. Heed warnings. Be prepared.
Most of all, stay safe, everyone! https://t.co/UW7jCtB5pI
— Hurricane Hunters (@53rdWRS) September 14, 2020
How should museums serve the public? Are museums heeding calls for diversity? National Gallery of Art director Kaywin Feldman and Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson answer these questions and more https://t.co/Ib0hPGpVmD
— ARTnews (@artnews) July 2, 2019
Tax bills can swell or shrink based on how well people heed the fine-print rules of their retirement accounts https://t.co/M47UykLj8u
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) August 30, 2019
Try using heed!
Which of the following terms is NOT a synonym of heed?
A. disregard
B. listen to
C. note
D. pay attention to
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