heft

[ heft ]

noun

1. weight; heaviness:

   It was a rather flimsy chair, without much heft to it.

2. significance or importance.
3. Archaic. the bulk or main part.

verb (used with object)

1. to test the weight of by lifting and balancing:

   He hefted the spear for a few moments, and then flung it at the foe.

2. to heave; hoist.

heft

/ hɛft /

verb

1. to assess the weight of (something) by lifting
2. to lift

noun

1. weight
2. the main part

Derived Forms

• ˈhefter, noun

Other Words From

• hefter noun
• un·hefted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of heft¹

1550–60; heave + -t, variant of -th ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of heft¹

C19: probably from heave , by analogy with thieve, theft, cleave, cleft

Example Sentences

By the end of the weekend, the turkey pile had dwindled surprisingly far below the lip of the Tupperware, but the whole container still had serious heft.

From Eater

Bearaby’s blankets are weighty enough to induce these effects, but unlike most products, they get their heft from the fabrics they’re woven from—not from little metal balls stuffed inside.

From Popular-Science

The acquisition adds heft to Bertelsmann’s publishing portfolio and fits with plans to expand the company’s Penguin Random House unit.

From Fortune

One project taking this route, Tesseract, is currently running in a basement at the University of California, Berkeley, looking for ripples from dark particles similar in heft to those that Sensei targets.

From Quanta Magazine

Iridescent orange in color, it looks sort of like a rosé but has considerable heft on the palate.

From Washington Post

And they might not have to wait that long to show their political heft.

From The Daily Beast

The film gave pretty equal heft to Captain America and Black Widow.

From The Daily Beast

Its heft may scare away some casual readers, but Rough Country is surprisingly accessible.

From The Daily Beast

In a room off the living room, saddles lounge everywhere you look, finely tooled leather saddles, things of great weight and heft.

From The Daily Beast

The fibers of the meat absorb all the flavor, giving the beef tremendous heft.

From The Daily Beast

"Heft it in your hand," said Barker, with boyish enthusiasm.

From Project Gutenberg

Tha weigh more, akordin tu their heft, than enny other kreetur, except a crowbar.

From Project Gutenberg

Considering the difference in our heft, I take it Ive got a birds appetite compared with you and Josh here—pound for pound.

From Project Gutenberg

Its no use trying for the rest, and weve got the heft of it.

From Project Gutenberg

There he seized a sharp axe, which he tried on the panel of the cabin, and then took the heft firmly between his teeth.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• bear
• bring
• ferry
• give
• haul
• hoist
• import
• lift
• lug
• move
• pack
• remove
• take
• tote
• transfer
• transmit