to take heed
12
6.2
- phrasal verb
- /teɪk hiːd/
- Formal
- It's wise to take heed of the warning signs before making a decision.
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Watch on YouTubeAnd so even if this doesn't apply to you, for the women watching this, take heed.
- And so even if this doesn't apply to you, for the women watching this, take heed.
- You know, for me and my career and having a platform where I can speak and people listen to what I say and take heed to every word that I say.
- And I just hope that our listeners take heed, you know, and meanwhile, the rich get richer because my, you know, my friend Greg Jaggers was here from Wyoming.
Examples
-
Tocqueville predicted this dilemma nearly two centuries ago, but far too few people have taken heed of his warning.
Blog text (22) -
The village needs to take heed of the state's mistakes and learn by example: The OBRE -- Office Banks.
Blog text (20) -
So take heed to that, but know that there is good out there.
-
Let all take heed and bear witness to what they have seen... ...that the people may know the will of God.
-
So listen and take heed.
Fiction book (1998) -
l warned you but you did not take heed.
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Take heed of the others and do everything they say
-
Take heed before it is too late.
-
Washington, therefore, must take heed of the developments in Tokyo, and fast.
Academic text (2003) -
Therefore take heed, as Hymen's lamps shall light you.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Pay attention to advice or warnings and act on them
∞
1.0
Listen to someone carefully to consider what they say
∞
1.0
To see or become aware of something
∞
1.0
To keep something in your mind so you do not forget it
∞
1.0
To be careful and pay attention to possible danger
∞
1.0
Take care to avoid danger or getting hurt
985
1.6
To focus on someone or something and notice carefully
605
2.4
To watch something carefully to learn about it
498
3.0
To be careful to avoid danger or trouble
432
2.4
To watch someone or something carefully to make sure nothing bad happens
388
1.6
Watch for danger or trouble
291
2.1
To pay careful attention to something
209
1.8
To notice something carefully
199
1.8
To be careful to avoid danger
178
3.4
Pay attention to something to remember or think about it
149
4.1
Be careful and watch for danger
86
5.0
Pay careful attention to advice or warnings
83
3.1
To stay alert and watch for danger or trouble
73
3.2
Watch carefully for someone or something
61
3.5
To see and pay attention to something
27
3.4
To watch carefully so you notice danger or changes
14
3.2
To listen or watch carefully
10
3.0
Look at a person or thing very carefully for a while to notice problems
8
4.5
To listen carefully to advice or warnings
4
6.2
To listen carefully to someone
1
6.0
Watch carefully for something you expect to see
1
6.4
To pay careful attention to what someone says or does
1
3.7
Stay alert to hear useful news or information
1
4.6
Watch carefully for something important or dangerous
Antonyms
How Attentive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to pay careful attention' is directly compositional from 'take' (to receive or adopt) + 'heed' (attentive consideration), so a learner who knows both words can infer the idiomic sense. The verb+noun construction mirrors cross-linguistic patterns for 'pay attention' (e.g. 'take care', 'pay heed'), making the phrase predictable despite 'heed' being somewhat formal.
Etymology
Take heed comes from an old use of the word heed meaning 'care' or 'attention'. Imagine you take that care and hold it like an object so you do not miss a warning, so the phrase means 'to pay careful attention'.