adjective
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big and strong
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characterized by vigour or force
a hefty blow
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large, bulky, or heavy
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sizable; involving a large amount of money
a hefty bill
a hefty wage
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hefty
Explanation
Something that's hefty is big and heavy. When you have to lug a hefty suitcase around, it helps if it has wheels. Hefty objects are large and bulky, and you can describe people as hefty when they're big and brawny and strong. When you buy a hefty bag of dog food for your hefty bull mastiff, you might want to ask a hefty young employee if she'll help you carry it to your car. Hefty comes from heft, which means both "to lift" and "weight or heaviness."
Vocabulary lists containing hefty
The Wednesday Wars
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The Omnivore's Dilemma
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Hello, Universe
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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.
Hefty investments in new forest land in Latvia to secure further wood supply for its products as well as the acquisition of retail stores in the Baltics also increased costs in the period.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025
A representative for Reynolds Consumer Products, which owns the Hefty brand, said Pactiv Evergreen no longer made its party cups.
From New York Times • Apr. 17, 2023
Hefty water releases from dams can serve both purposes, especially when the sun sets and solar electricity fades.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2023
Hefty, crusty sourdough, velvety, oven-roasted butternut squash, and caramelized beets pair with tart Granny Smith apples, pungent red onions, and just enough bitter kale balance the whole thing out.
From Salon • Dec. 26, 2022
Still holding my breath, I glanced over to the space suit and Hefty bag I'd used to outsmart the regulator.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
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.
