heed
gb/hˈid/ us/hˈid/
B2
English
~ 4100
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
Pay attention to
To listen to and follow advice, warnings, or instructions.
Usage pattern:
to heed [advice/warning/instruction]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'heed' with 'hear'. 'Heed' means to pay attention to and act on something, not just to notice it with your ears.
Synonyms
observe (More formal; often used for rules or laws.)
|
follow (Emphasizes acting according to the advice or instruction rather than just paying attention.)
|
mind (Informal and often used in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
ignore (Means to pay no attention to something, the direct opposite of heed.)
Collocations
heed a warning
|heed advice
|heed instructions
|heed the call
|heed the message
Themes
communication
|safety
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- You should heed the safety instructions before operating the machine.
- She failed to heed his warning about the icy roads.
- The government must heed the concerns of its citizens.
- Heed my advice and save some money for emergencies.
- They did not heed the teacher's repeated requests for silence.
Learner examples
- Please heed the warning sign.
- Heed my words: it will rain today.
- We must heed the teacher's rules.
- She did not heed my advice.
- Heed the road signs when you drive.
Noun
C1
entity
2
Careful attention
Careful attention to something, especially advice or a warning.
Usage pattern:
give heed to [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'heed' as a noun is old-fashioned. While less common than the verb, it is still used in formal or literary contexts.
Synonyms
attention (General term for focusing one's mind on something.)
|
consideration (Emphasizes thoughtful evaluation.)
Antonyms
disregard (Lack of attention or consideration for something.)
Collocations
pay heed
|take heed
|give heed
|without heed
Themes
communication
|safety
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The driver paid no heed to the stop sign.
- We must take heed of these environmental warnings.
- Without proper heed, mistakes can be costly.
- She gave little heed to the weather forecast.
- He took no heed of the risks involved.
Learner examples
- Take heed of the teacher's words.
- He gave no heed to the rules.
- Pay heed to the road signs.
- We must take heed of danger.
- She paid no heed to my warning.
Grammar
Dictionary form
heed
IPA
GB/hˈid/
US/hˈid/
Syllables & stress
heed (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (heed)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: heed
- Plural: heed
Verb
- Base: heed
- 3rd Person Singular: heeds
- Present Participle: heeding
- Past: heeded
Word family
Forms
heeds
verb
heeding
verb
heeded
verb
Related words
heedful
adjective
heedfully
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
Advanced or less common
heedfulness
noun
heedlessness
noun
Expressions
give heed
1/ɡˈɪv hˈid/
fixed phrase
formal
Direct careful attention
To focus your mind on something important or worth noticing.
Examples
- Give heed to the teacher's instructions.
- The committee gave no heed to the proposal.
pay heed
1/pˈeɪ hˈid/
fixed phrase
Give careful attention
To carefully listen to or think about something important.
Examples
- You should pay heed to those warning signs.
- Few people paid heed to his speech.
take heed
1/tˈeɪk hˈid/
fixed phrase
Pay close attention
To be very careful to notice and think about something important.
Examples
- Take heed of what your doctor tells you.
- We must take heed before making such a big decision.
without heed
1/wɪðˈaʊt hˈid/
fixed phrase
Without paying attention
Not paying any attention or care to something important.
Examples
- He walked into the street without heed for the traffic.
- They continued without heed of the danger ahead.