Meaning & use
heed
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Meanings
verbtransitiveformal
To listen to advice or a warning and take it seriously.
Grammar: Takes an object: heed the warning.
Patterns
- heed something
- heed someone's advice
Drivers should heed the warning signs on the mountain road.
She wished she had heeded her mother's advice.
The council failed to heed calls for change.
noununcountableformalold-fashioned
Careful attention paid to something.
Grammar: Used in the phrases pay heed to or take heed of.
Patterns
- pay heed to something
- take heed of something
He paid no heed to the storm forecast.
Take heed of the instructions before you begin.
They gave little heed to the objections.
Word forms
| third person singular | heeds |
|---|---|
| past tense | heeded |
| past participle | heeded |
| -ing form | heeding |
Common combinations
- heed a warning
- Residents were told to heed the flood warning.
- heed advice
- I should have heeded his advice about the route.
- heed the call
- Many volunteers heeded the call for help.
- pay heed to
- You should pay heed to what the doctor says.
- take heed
- Let this be a lesson, and take heed.
Synonyms and how they differ
- obey
- Obey means doing what an authority orders, while heed means listening to advice or warning, which you may choose to follow.
- follow
- Follow is neutral and everyday, while heed adds the idea of paying careful attention first.
- mind
- Mind is informal and often used in commands, like mind the gap, while heed is more formal.
- observe
- Observe a rule means keeping to it, but it does not suggest being warned.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: heed or heat?
heed vs heat
Heat is a different word with a different vowel and a final t, so check the spelling of heed.
Practice
Which sentence uses heed correctly?
Choose one answer.
Heed takes a direct object with no preposition; the other options add a preposition that does not belong.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “heed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.