heavy
Americanadjective
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heavier,
comparative
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heaviest
superlative
-
of great weight; hard to lift or carry.
a heavy load.
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of great amount, quantity, or size; extremely large; massive.
a heavy vote; a heavy snowfall.
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of great force, intensity, turbulence, etc..
a heavy sea.
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of more than the usual or average weight.
a heavy person; heavy freight.
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having much weight in proportion to bulk; being of high specific gravity.
a heavy metal.
- Synonyms:
- dense
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of major import; grave; serious.
a heavy offense.
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deep or intense; profound.
a heavy thinker;
heavy slumber.
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Military.
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thickly armed or equipped with guns of large size.
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(of guns) of the more powerful sizes.
heavy weapons.
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hard to bear; burdensome; harsh; oppressive.
heavy taxes.
- Synonyms:
- difficult, cumbersome, grievous, onerous, severe
-
hard to cope with; trying; difficult.
a heavy task.
-
being as indicated to an unusually great degree.
a heavy buyer.
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broad, thick, or coarse; not delicate.
heavy lines drawn in charcoal.
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weighted or laden.
air heavy with moisture.
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fraught; loaded; charged.
words heavy with meaning.
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depressed with trouble or sorrow; showing sorrow; sad.
a heavy heart.
- Synonyms:
- downhearted, downcast, despondent, dejected, mournful, gloomy
-
without vivacity or interest; ponderous; dull.
a heavy style.
- Synonyms:
- boring, burdensome, wearisome, tiresome, tedious
-
slow in movement or action; clumsy.
a heavy walk.
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loud and deep; sonorous.
a heavy sound.
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(of the sky) overcast or cloudy.
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exceptionally dense in substance; insufficiently raised or leavened; thick.
heavy doughnuts.
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(of food) not easily digested.
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being in a state of advanced pregnancy; nearing childbirth.
heavy with child;
heavy with young.
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having a large capacity, capable of doing rough work, or having a large output.
a heavy truck.
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producing or refining basic materials, as steel or coal, used in manufacturing.
heavy industry.
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sober, serious, or somber.
a heavy part in a drama.
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Chemistry. of or relating to an isotope of greater than normal atomic weight, as heavy hydrogen or heavy oxygen, or to a compound containing such an element, as heavy water.
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Slang.
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very good; excellent.
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very serious or important.
a really heavy relationship.
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Phonetics. (of a syllable)
noun
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heavies
plural
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a somber or ennobled theatrical role or character.
Iago is the heavy in Othello.
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the theatrical role of a villain.
-
an actor who plays a theatrical heavy.
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Military. a gun of great weight or large caliber.
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Slang. a very important or influential person.
a reception for government heavies.
adverb
adjective
-
of comparatively great weight
a heavy stone
-
having a relatively high density
lead is a heavy metal
-
great in yield, quality, or quantity
heavy rain
heavy traffic
-
great or considerable
heavy emphasis
-
hard to bear, accomplish, or fulfil
heavy demands
-
sad or dejected in spirit or mood
heavy at heart
-
coarse or broad
a heavy line
heavy features
-
(of soil) having a high clay content; cloggy
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solid or fat
heavy legs
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(of an industry) engaged in the large-scale complex manufacture of capital goods or extraction of raw materials Compare light 2
-
serious; grave
-
military
-
armed or equipped with large weapons, armour, etc
-
(of guns, etc) of a large and powerful type
-
-
(of a syllable) having stress or accentuation Compare light 2
-
dull and uninteresting
a heavy style
-
prodigious
a heavy drinker
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(of cakes, bread, etc) insufficiently leavened
-
deep and loud
a heavy thud
-
-
dramatic and powerful; grandiose
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not immediately comprehensible or appealing
-
-
slang
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unpleasant or tedious
-
wonderful
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(of rock music) having a powerful beat; hard
-
-
weighted; burdened
heavy with child
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clumsy and slow
heavy going
-
permeating
a heavy smell
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cloudy or overcast, esp threatening rain
heavy skies
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not easily digestible
a heavy meal
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(of an element or compound) being or containing an isotope with greater atomic weight than that of the naturally occurring element
heavy hydrogen
heavy water
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horse racing (of the going on a racecourse) soft and muddy
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slang using, or prepared to use, violence or brutality
the heavy mob
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informal using large quantities of
this car is heavy on petrol
noun
-
-
a villainous role
-
an actor who plays such a part
-
-
military
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a large fleet unit, esp an aircraft carrier or battleship
-
a large calibre or weighty piece of artillery
-
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informal (usually plural) a serious newspaper
the Sunday heavies
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informal a heavyweight boxer, wrestler, etc
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slang a man hired to threaten violence or deter others by his presence
-
strong bitter beer
adverb
Synonym Usage
Heavy, momentous, weighty refer to anything having a considerable amount of figurative weight. Heavy suggests the carrying of a figurative burden: words heavy with menace. Momentous emphasizes the idea of great and usually serious consequences: a momentous occasion, statement. Weighty, seldom used literally, refers to something heavy with importance, often concerned with public affairs, which may require deliberation and careful judgment: a weighty matter, problem.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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heavinessnoun
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overheavinessnoun
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unheavinessnoun
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overheavyadjective
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ultraheavyadjective
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unheavyadjective
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heavilyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of heavy
First recorded before 900; Middle English hevi, Old English hefig, equivalent to hef(e) “weight” + -ig; cf. heave -y 1
Explanation
Something that's heavy weighs a lot, either physically or emotionally. It's hard to lift a heavy backpack, and it's hard to handle a heavy topic, like the meaning of life. Bulky, substantial things are heavy, and you can also describe people as heavy, especially if they're big-boned and carry a lot of weight. Thick or strong things are sometimes called heavy as well: "The apple tree was heavy with blossoms, but when the heavy wind started up, they all blew away." Heavy breathing is fast and labored, and heavy food is just too rich or filling.
Vocabulary lists containing heavy
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
According to a Disneyland spokesperson, the park temporarily closed some areas due to weather impacts, which is standard operating procedure during heavy rain.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
They’ve sold their property and will be moving to the Pacific Northwest, a decision made with heavy hearts but a sense of reinvention.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
Though targeted, it escaped the Gardner’s infamous 1990 heist—probably because Rembrandt executed it on heavy oak panel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
On Saturday, Storm Boelo is forecast to bring more strong winds and heavy rain.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
At the end is a heavy metal door propped open to the outside with a block of wood.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
I didn’t see the seals of approval from America’s trio of book-club heavies — Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, and Jenna Bush Hager — on its cover.
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
The men’s Huskies are heavies, too, though a slight underdog Saturday against No. 3 seed Illinois.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026
He named a long list of industry heavies and bands before adding: "To the homeless and the powerless and the forgotten, we always say thank you."
From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2025
If you want to contend in the Six Nations then you better bring as many heavies as you can find.
From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2025
Big Time showed green and went past the heavies.
From "145th Street: Short Stories" by Walter Dean Myers
Most of the oil produced from Rosebank would be sent to the Netherlands because the UK's remaining refineries are not equipped to process the heavier type of crude oil extracted from the North Sea.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
Ironically, larger, heavier vehicles are often safer for the occupants of cars, Schneider said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
Much of the turmoil is due to an industry-wide struggle to manufacture and monetize heavier electric vehicles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026
The lower court judge sentenced Beaird to an even heavier sentence than he might otherwise have gotten due to the type of large-capacity firearm the police found him possessing.
From Slate ● Oct. 18, 2026
He had to be as big as me, but much heavier.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and best friend,” a statement from Anderson’s family read.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
Istanbul was battling on Thursday to recover from flooding caused by what officials described as the heaviest rainfall in at least 80 years, as the toll rose to three dead and five missing.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
That fear was particularly prevalent among some of the technology’s heaviest users.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
He even ended the match wearing the captain's armband as England inflicted the heaviest defeat in Croatia's history.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
As an example, she chose the heaviest kid in the class and the lightest kid in the class, and had them weigh themselves.
From "Holes" by Louis Sachar
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
