First Known Use: before 12th century
Dictionary
1heed
verb \ˈhēd\
: to pay attention to (advice, a warning, etc.)
Full 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
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Examples of HEED
- 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
- However, he should heed an axiom from the pretelevision age: physician, heal thyself. —George F. Will, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 1986
- 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
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Origin of HEED
Middle English, from Old English hēdan; akin to Old High German huota guard, Old English hōd hood
Related to HEED
2heed
noun \ˈhēd\
: attention or notice
Full Definition of HEED
See heed defined for English-language learners
Examples of HEED
- 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
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Origin of HEED
(see 1heed)
First Known Use: 14th century
Related to HEED
- Synonyms
- advertence, advertency, awareness, cognizance, consciousness, ear, eye, attention, knowledge, mindfulness, note, notice, observance, observation
- Antonyms
- heedlessness, inattentiveness, negligence
HEED Defined for Kids
1heed
verb \ˈhēd\
heed·edheed·ing
Definition of HEED for Kids
: to pay attention to : mind <Heed my warning.>
2heed
noun
Definition of HEED for Kids
: 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>
— heed·ful adjective
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