heads up

¹

interjection

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

heads-up

²

[hedz-uhp]

adjective

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

noun

1. a warning in advance.

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

heads up

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of heads up¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Origin of heads up²

First recorded in 1945–50

Idioms and Phrases

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]

Example Sentences

"We want to host the Fifa World Cup, but we want to do that with our heads up high, not while hiding behind a façade."

From BBC

DiGiorgio said Foster told the players who were able to attend the hastily arranged meeting early in the team’s bye week to keep their heads up and keep pushing.

From Los Angeles Times

A Gibson Dunn attorney who heads up the team that represents the city did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

From Los Angeles Times

The streaming giant said Matthew Goode will again play DCI Carl Morck, a damaged and shambolic detective who heads up the department of misfits in the basement of a police station.

From BBC

An hour later a second employee entered the room and similarly died. said Michael Bright, who heads up Cal/OSHA’s Bureau of Investigations, which reviews workplace fatalities and pursues criminal cases.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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

When To Use

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.