headier; headiest
1
a
: willful, rash
heady opinions
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 adverb
headiness noun

Examples of heady in a Sentence

The plane soared to heady heights. They were heady with their newfound success.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
A little of Eyes Wide Shut’s secret underworlds, a bit of Magnolia’s heady suspense. Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025 Back then—those heady, almost nostalgic days leading up to the NCAA adopting its interim name, image and likeness policy—the Uniform Law Commission (ULC) had assembled a task force to draft model NIL legislation for states to plug and play. Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 22 Sep. 2025 The author drew the real-life examples from talking to Commander Bob Broadhurst, head of security for those heady weeks in London. Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025 The result was a concert that delighted and disappointed, soared and sputtered, although — happily — the heady highs outweighed the lamentable lows. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for heady

Word History

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of heady was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Heady.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heady. Accessed 26 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

heady

adjective
headier; headiest
1
2
: likely to make one giddy
heady wine
a heady height
headily adverb
headiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on heady

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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