Meaning & use
taking heed
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“taking heed” is a form of “take heed”.
Meaning
phraseidiomformal
paying careful attention to something, especially advice or a warning
Grammar: Used as a continuous phrase; the full idiom is 'take heed', often followed by 'of' or 'to'.
Patterns
- taking heed of something
- taking heed to something
She is taking heed of her doctor's advice about rest.
The company is taking heed of customer complaints and changing its policy.
They were taking heed to the warning signs before the storm.
Common combinations
- take heed of
- You should take heed of the weather forecast before sailing.
- take heed to
- The students took heed to the teacher's instructions.
- take heed that
- Take heed that the door is locked before you leave.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pay attention
- More common and neutral; 'take heed' is more formal and often suggests listening to a warning.
- heed
- The verb 'heed' is used alone: 'heed the warning'; 'take heed' is the fixed phrase.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: taking heed or take head?
taking heed vs take head
A common misspelling; the correct phrase is 'take heed', meaning pay attention.
Practice
Complete the sentence: The hikers were taking heed ___ the park ranger's warning about bears.
Choose one answer.
'Take heed of' is the standard pattern meaning pay attention to. 'For', 'with', and 'at' do not combine with 'heed' in this idiom.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “taking heed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.