heavy lifting

American  

[hev-ee lif-ting] / ˈhɛv i ˈlɪf tɪŋ /

noun

Informal.

1. hard work.

   A team of researchers did the heavy lifting for the author.

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Etymology

Origin of heavy lifting

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

heavy lifting

Until those task forces release their findings, the chairman’s words may have to do the heavy lifting.

From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026

May crossed $1 billion in box office — with “Backrooms” and “Obsession” doing much of the heavy lifting.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2026

Social Security was the dominant assumption in American retirement planning because the rest of the system — pensions, employer-funded healthcare, predictable inflation — did most of the heavy lifting.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 10, 2026

The policy was called “twin pillars,” meaning Saudi Arabia and Iran would do the heavy lifting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026

So we decided to move them to the attic, and Peter was entrusted with the heavy lifting.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank