ponderous

[pon-der-uhs]

adjective

1. of great weight; heavy; massive.

2. awkward or unwieldy.

   He carried a ponderous burden on his back.

3. dull and labored.

   a ponderous dissertation.

   Synonyms: tedious, dreary, boring, heavy
   Antonyms: exciting, lively

ponderous

/ ˌpɒndəˈrɒsɪtɪ, ˈpɒndərəs /

adjective

1. of great weight; heavy; huge

2. (esp of movement) lacking ease or lightness; awkward, lumbering, or graceless

3. dull or laborious

   a ponderous oration

Other Word Forms

• ponderously adverb
• ponderousness noun
• ponderosity noun
• nonponderosity noun
• nonponderous adjective
• nonponderously adverb
• nonponderousness noun
• overponderous adjective
• overponderously adverb
• overponderousness noun
• unponderous adjective
• unponderously adverb
• unponderousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ponderous¹

1375–1425; late Middle English (< Middle French ponderos, pondereuse ) < Latin ponderōsus. See ponder, -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of ponderous¹

C14: from Latin ponderōsus of great weight, from pondus weight

Example Sentences

The artist-turned-filmmaker even incorporates a striking image from one of his oils — that of a translucent horselike creature — as an enigmatic visual motif that proves more ponderous than poetic.

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In the 1970s, Black Sabbath prioritized gouging grooves, thrumming basslines and ponderous drums; they treated their albums like cohesive sonic statements.

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The book’s languor can be ponderous and vintage, more 20th century than 21st.

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But, he said, when they managed to keep the tempo down "everyone was bored to tears" by the halfway point, and the track became "slow and ponderous".

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Long, ponderous trains snake through at regular intervals.

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Related Words

• labored 
• monotonous 
• plodding www.thesaurus.com
• stilted 
• stodgy 
• stuffy