as in careful
having or showing a close attentiveness to avoiding danger or trouble
heedful of snakes, we watched our footing while walking through the tall grass to the lake's edge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of heedful
In ancient times a heedful list is a ship of the mind.
—
Jay Pilgreen, Kansas City Star, 12 Feb. 2024
Enduring decades of bans for its salacious content, D.H. Lawrence's 1928 avant-garde novel gets a fresh adaptation under the heedful eye of Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, who deftly explores the depths of female desire.
—Lia Beck, EW.com, 12 Jan. 2024
Her heedful eyes meet those of a young Black girl in overalls and braids on the other side of the room.
—Hazlitt, 9 Aug. 2023
That’s partly because retailers have grown less heedful about developing the necessary pipelines, a problem that’s worsened in recent years as retailers saw profits crushed by a push into low-margin e-commerce.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2023
As with recent demands to defund the police or abolish ICE amid our domestic upheavals, such calls should be heard not as literal policy prescriptions but as cries from the heart that demand heedful response.
—Suzanne Nossel, WSJ, 10 Mar. 2022
Zhi-shay’ was horrified by his brother’s treatment, but also heedful of the powerful pack rules in which such cruelty is embedded.
—Pamela Miller, Star Tribune, 7 Aug. 2020
McMillan initially promised to train fissile material handlers to be more heedful of plutonium-handling perils, for example, and to bring the inventory and safety documents guiding their work up to date.
—R. Jeffrey Smith, Science | AAAS, 30 June 2017
Jay Pilgreen, Kansas City Star, 12 Feb. 2024
Enduring decades of bans for its salacious content, D.H. Lawrence's 1928 avant-garde novel gets a fresh adaptation under the heedful eye of Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, who deftly explores the depths of female desire.
—Lia Beck, EW.com, 12 Jan. 2024
Her heedful eyes meet those of a young Black girl in overalls and braids on the other side of the room.
—Hazlitt, 9 Aug. 2023
That’s partly because retailers have grown less heedful about developing the necessary pipelines, a problem that’s worsened in recent years as retailers saw profits crushed by a push into low-margin e-commerce.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2023
As with recent demands to defund the police or abolish ICE amid our domestic upheavals, such calls should be heard not as literal policy prescriptions but as cries from the heart that demand heedful response.
—Suzanne Nossel, WSJ, 10 Mar. 2022
Zhi-shay’ was horrified by his brother’s treatment, but also heedful of the powerful pack rules in which such cruelty is embedded.
—Pamela Miller, Star Tribune, 7 Aug. 2020
McMillan initially promised to train fissile material handlers to be more heedful of plutonium-handling perils, for example, and to bring the inventory and safety documents guiding their work up to date.
—R. Jeffrey Smith, Science | AAAS, 30 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heedful
Adjective
-
The hamstring injury Mount suffered overextending his leg in the Manchester derby in December kept him out until March, and Amorim was careful to reintroduce him — and praised his diligence in returning to fitness.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
25 July 2025
-
The trailer is careful to showcase the film’s scale – fighter planes soar, speedboats roar, trains careen, and cities flash by in a blur – while keeping plot details tantalizingly out of reach.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
Be cautious using public Wi-Fi Avoid logging into accounts on public Wi-Fi or always use a VPN.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
20 July 2025
-
Swimmers should be cautious of cold shock in waters below 60 degrees.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
18 July 2025
Adjective
-
Judge, always wary of self-congratulation, downplayed his contributions.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
25 July 2025
-
Those who did speak were wary of unintended consequences, particularly on special education or immigrant students.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
24 July 2025
Adjective
-
The alert impacts regions ranging from the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula to the southernmost counties, including major cities such as Detroit, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Traverse City.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
-
Be alert to warning signs: Educate yourself about the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
13 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heedful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heedful. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share