heavily

American  

[hev-uh-lee] / ˈhɛv ə li /

adverb

1. with a great weight or burden.

   a heavily loaded wagon.

2. in a manner suggestive of carrying a great weight; ponderously; lumberingly.

   He walked heavily across the room.

3. in an oppressive manner.

   Cares weigh heavily upon him.

4. severely; greatly; intensely.

   to suffer heavily.

5. densely; thickly.

   heavily wooded.

6. in large amounts or in great quantities; very much.

   It rained heavily on Tuesday.

7. without animation or vigor; in a dull manner; sluggishly.

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Other Word Forms

• overheavily adverb
• unheavily adverb

Etymology

Origin of heavily

First recorded before 900; Middle English hevyly, Old English hefiglīce; equivalent to heavy + -ly

Explanation

Anything that happens heavily is weighty, extensive, or labored. A car falling off its jack will crash heavily to the ground, and if you are a new runner, you'll be breathing heavily after the first mile. Sometimes the adverb heavily simply describes the action of something heavy — like kids' feet pounding heavily up the stairs, or an airplane landing heavily on the runway. There's also the "large amount" or "a lot" meaning, like when rain falls heavily or a director is heavily influenced by the cartoons of her childhood. Breathing heavily, on the other hand, means "with effort."

Example Sentences

Past heists relied more on novel malware and identity fraud, but the April 1 campaign leaned heavily on actual human interaction.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Like Pennsylvania, it’s effectively two states in one: densely populated, with highly-educated urban and suburban regions alongside vast rural areas that lean heavily conservative.

From Salon • Apr. 15, 2026

Two Metropolitan Police officers have been charged after a heavily pregnant woman and her unborn child were killed in a crash with an unmarked police car in south-east London.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Jefferies analysts asserted that quantum should be viewed as a national security asset, adding that “drivers, funders and applications will inevitably be heavily government-influenced” in both the U.S. and in China.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

And leaning heavily on my aunt’s arm, Mrs. Maroney wandered off toward our comfortable buggy, to ride back to Jenkintown with Aunt Kitty in style.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Related Words

• densely
• massively
• thickly