heady

adjective

ˈhe-dē 

headier; headiest

1

a

: willful, rash

heady opinions

b

: violent, impetuous

2

a

: tending to intoxicate or make giddy or elated

heady wine

being in such distinguished company was a heady experience

b

: giddy, exhilarated

heady with his success

c

: rich

a heady sauce

a heady variety

d

: impressive

a man of heady accomplishments

3

a

: marked by or showing good judgment : shrewd, intelligent

b

: intellectually stimulating or demanding

headily

ˈhe-də-lē 

adverb

headiness

ˈhe-dē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• ecstatic
• elated
• elevated
• enrapt
• enraptured
• entranced
• euphoric
• exhilarated
• giddy
• intoxicated
• rapt
• rapturous
• rhapsodic
• rhapsodical

Examples of heady in a Sentence

The plane soared to heady heights.

They were heady with their newfound success.

Recent Examples on the Web

Hours of love and expertise go into each bowl, whether shio, shoyu, miso or the heady superstar black garlic tonkotsu. —Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 19 June 2024

From this heady story, the film tackles themes of class, refugee crises, migration, grief, and change. —Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 19 June 2024

Kelsey Mann directs the heady sequel, which sees the young Riley entering puberty and her noggin contending with new emotions like Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos) and Nostalgia (June Squibb). —J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 15 June 2024

This was all heady stuff for a teenager entering her sophomore year of high school. —SELF, 11 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

heady

adjective

ˈhed-ē 

headier; headiest

1

: willful sense 1, rash

2

: likely to make one giddy

heady wine

a heady height

headily

ˈhed-ə-lē 

adverb

headiness

ˈhed-ē-nəs 

noun