heft
Americannoun
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weight; heaviness.
It was a rather flimsy chair, without much heft to it.
-
significance or importance.
-
Archaic. the bulk or main part.
verb (used with object)
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to test the weight of by lifting and balancing.
He hefted the spear for a few moments, and then flung it at the foe.
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to heave; hoist.
verb
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to assess the weight of (something) by lifting
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to lift
noun
-
weight
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the main part
Other Word Forms
- hefter noun
- unhefted adjective
Etymology
Origin of heft
Explanation
Heft is the bulk or weight of a person or thing. You might shift the heft of that huge bag of dog food you just bought over to your left arm while you use your right hand to open the door. The heft of your big suitcase might make you question the wisdom of packing so many books. You can use heft as a verb, too — you could move the books into your backpack and then heft it back onto your shoulder. Heft comes from the verb heave, "lift with effort," modeled on verb/noun combinations like "thieve" and "theft" or "weave" and "weft."
Vocabulary lists containing heft
"The Odyssey," Vocabulary from Part 2 of the epic poem
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Prisoner B-3087
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Wolf Hollow
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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.
Here, Washington is targeting China, which despite its economic heft is classified as a developing country at the WTO.
From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026
The title notwithstanding, this is Dejanira’s story, and mezzo Ann Hallenberg had the attitude but ultimately not enough vocal heft to fully express her fury and despair.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
Every now and then a particular asset is afforded greater heft than usual in determining broader market machinations.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 6, 2026
Much of it was lost to the audience, since reverberant amplification gave heroic heft to Blanchett’s voice at the cost of intelligibility.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026
He had heft to him: large hands, a belly, broad in the shoulder and jaw and wrinkled neck.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
