To heed something means to pay careful attention to it and take it seriously, especially when it's a warning or advice. When you heed your teacher's reminder to study for Friday's test, you actually listen and prepare. When a ship's captain heeds a storm warning, she changes course to avoid danger.

The word carries a sense of wisdom and prudence. It means really listening and acting on what you hear. A student might hear their coach's advice about proper technique but not heed it, continuing to make the same mistakes. Someone who heeds their grandmother's wisdom about choosing friends carefully is taking her words to heart.

You'll often see heed paired with warnings: “heed the warning signs,” “heed the alarm,” “heed the advice of experts.” When someone says “you should have heeded my warning,” they mean you heard them but didn't take their caution seriously enough.

The opposite is to ignore or disregard. People sometimes wish they had heeded warnings they brushed aside.