heads up

¹ American  

interjection

1. (used to call attention to an impending danger or the need for immediate alertness.)

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heads-up ² American  

[hedz-uhp] / ˈhɛdzˌʌp /

adjective

1. quick to grasp a situation and take advantage of opportunities; alert; resourceful.

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noun

1. a warning in advance.

   sending a heads-up to the Pentagon about possible attacks.

heads up British  

noun

1. a tip-off or small amount of information given in advance

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heads up Idioms  

1. A warning to watch out for potential danger, as in Heads up, that tree is coming down now! The expression is generally in the form of an interjection. [c. 1940]

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Usage

What does heads-up mean? As an exclamation, Heads up! is used to call attention to danger or another important matter.As a basic noun, a heads-up is an advance notice or warning.

Etymology

Origin of heads up¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Origin of heads-up²

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Tarang Amin, who heads up e.l.f.—known for its affordable cosmetics and skin care—said the company’s value proposition was resonating with consumers across income and age demographics.

From Barron's

“I thought, ‘OK, I’m just going to give them a little heads up of what the film’s actually about.’

From Los Angeles Times

She gave a heads up to several Goldman executives before the Daily Beast published an article in November 2020 revealing she was in the courtroom at Epstein’s 2019 arraignment.

From The Wall Street Journal

Walz later said that he issued Minnesota’s National Guard a “warning order,” which he described as “a heads up for folks.”

From Salon

"They are a bit heads down but we have to be heads up because in three days we have a difficult game against Chelsea."

From Barron's

Related Words

• admonition
• advice
• alarm
• alert
• caution
• example
• guidance
• hint
• indication
• information
• lesson
• notification
• prediction
• recommendation
• sign
• signal
• suggestion
• threat
• word