heady means intoxicating or stupefying. It carries an Arena rating of 1564, earned across 4 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, heady ranks #893 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #4,299 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #5,392 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #6,747 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words.
heady is pronounced /ˈhɛdi/.
Why “heady” is a great word
Having an intoxicating, exhilarating, or overwhelming effect on the mind or senses. From Middle English hedi, hevedi, equivalent to head (the body part, hence 'mind' or 'senses') + -y (adjective-forming suffix meaning 'characterized by'), first attested before 1382. Unlike 'intoxicating,' which implies a chemical haze, or 'exhilarating,' which promises uncomplicated joy, 'heady' carries the warning of a mind flooded, of senses brimming past capacity. It is the reckless courage of a first success, the thick perfume of a linden tree in full, stifling bloom, the giddying view from a precipice—all forces that bypass reason to stir a dangerous rush, beauty so concentrated it threatens to unseat reason itself.
Etymology
From Middle English hedi, hevedi, equivalent to head + -y.
adj
- Intoxicating or stupefying.e.g.“The cocktail was a heady mixture of spirits.”
- Tending to upset the mind or senses.e.g.“We looked out from a heady outcrop of rock.”
- Exhilarating or exciting; producing a feeling of high energy or confidencee.g.“The rock concert was a heady mixture of their greatest hits.”
- Exhilarating or exciting; producing a feeling of high energy or confidence:; rapid, substantial, or breakneck in growth.e.g.“The heady pace of manufacturing stands in contrast to some of the recent news on how consumers are faring.”
- Intellectual.e.g.“Kierkegaard is rather heady reading for a high school student.”
- Rash or impetuous.e.g.“He made such heady promises that when the time came, he was never able to fulfill them.”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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