Literary notes about heady (AI summary)
The word "heady" in literature often conveys an intoxicating force—be it a potent aroma, a vibrant mood, or the flush of exuberant youth—that overwhelms the senses or the mind. It is used to describe the almost tangible sensation of being swept away, whether by a physically intense atmosphere like the pungent essence of fresh coffee [1] or an abstract feeling of passionate exhilaration such as the intoxicating wine of youth [2]. At times, "heady" denotes experiences laden with both danger and allure, as when a powerful presence or overwhelming emotion is depicted as something almost too rich to sustain [3]. In musical passages and other moments of artistic expression, the term underscores a lofty intensity that elevates ordinary perception into something surreal and all-consuming [4].
- He turned and walked over, still entranced by the heady, pungent essence of fresh Greek coffee now flooding the room.
— from Project Daedalus by Thomas Hoover - Then he fell to thinking of London and the sweets that he meant to taste, the heady wine of youth and life that he meant to drain to the lees.
— from Audrey by Mary Johnston - Such absolute power in the present, with such uncertain future, is above all things dangerous to heady natures.
— from The End of the Middle Ages: Essays and Questions in History by A. Mary F. (Agnes Mary Frances) Robinson - Scale passages are developed and high-flown trills give the violin some heady moments.
— from Serge Prokofieff and His Orchestral Music by Louis Leopold Biancolli
