heed
Americanverb (used with object)
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heeds,
present (3rd person singular)
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heeded,
past participle, past
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heeding
present participle
verb (used without object)
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heeds,
present (3rd person singular)
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heeded,
past participle, past
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heeding
present participle
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
Derived Forms
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heedernoun
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heedfulnessnoun
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heedfuladjective
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unheededadjective
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unheedingadjective
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heedfullyadverb
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unheededlyadverb
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unheedinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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heedsimple
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heedssimple
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have heededperfect
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has heededperfect
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am heedingprogressive
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are heedingprogressive
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is heedingprogressive
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have been heedingperfect progressive
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has been heedingperfect progressive
Past
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heededsimple
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had heededperfect
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was heedingprogressive
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were heedingprogressive
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had been heedingperfect progressive
Future
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
Explanation
Heed is an old word, meaning "to listen to and follow." It can also be used as a noun: "Take heed of my instructions," said the wizard, "for the magic potion will work only by the light of the full moon." The most common use of heed is with warnings, as in "You'd better heed my advice, or you'll be in serious trouble!" The word derives from Old English hēdan and is related to the Dutch hoeden and German hüten — from Germanic cultures where fairy tales with mysterious warnings and magical consequences abound.
Vocabulary lists containing heed
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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.
See Examples For:
Dark-mode Rhaenyra would have been wise to heed this warning when it was delivered the second time.
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026
Davies-Walsh said she was worried that people's frustrations at water companies over sewage spills and leakages was making them less likely to heed advice about being careful with their use of water.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Mr. Bailey would have done better to heed the observation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
And to be clear, Congress should heed Kagan and Barrett’s request for an increased security budget.
From Slate ● Jul. 15, 2026
Now slowly and sadly Merry walked beside the bearers, and he gave no more heed to the battle.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Not everyone heeds the finality of the message, however, as frantic family and friends refuse to give up on loved ones trapped under the debris.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
As the strikes surge, air sirens go off frequently, but not everyone heeds them.
From BBC ● Jan. 16, 2026
She heeds this warning, starting to realize that this boyfriend might not bring her freedom but deadweight, as much as she tries to help him help himself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2025
Even when Moses heeds his mother’s word and gets out of the house for his long, daily walks, Pansy launches another problem at him.
From Salon ● Jan. 10, 2025
Someone heeds my call, and one by one the lanterns are turned up as high as they will go.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
Organisers of Paris pride heeded instructions from Paris police to cancel festivities due to take place in the sweltering French capital this weekend, after police warned they would ban them otherwise.
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026
"We were consulted, as I have been on every tournament I can remember, and then our advice wasn't heeded," said Roberts.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
Yet he still believes that he’s a man of the people who should be heeded on every aspect of life, especially on how to disregard all criticism because anyone who criticizes you must be wrong.
From Slate ● Apr. 17, 2026
But that warning may not be heeded very widely.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026
Neither man heeded me, if indeed they heard me above the din of their weapons.
From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood
State-backed funds also wrote checks, heeding Beijing’s call to nurture homegrown AI companies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Youngsters appear to be heeding this message - several children and teenagers participated in the Monday's parades, decked out in creative costumes.
From BBC ● Apr. 7, 2026
All this highlights that Buffett has paid a price for not heeding his forever mantra.
From Barron's ● Jan. 16, 2026
The disastrous Alamo Bowl defeat would serve as an especially sobering reminder that while USC made progress under Lynn, it’s still a ways from heeding Riley’s guarantee.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 1, 2026
The captain of the distressed vessel, at last heeding the injunction, cast down his bucket, and it came up full of fresh sparkling water from the mouth of the Amazon River.'
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
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.
