heavily
Americanadverb
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with a great weight or burden.
a heavily loaded wagon.
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in a manner suggestive of carrying a great weight; ponderously; lumberingly.
He walked heavily across the room.
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in an oppressive manner.
Cares weigh heavily upon him.
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to suffer heavily.
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densely; thickly.
heavily wooded.
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in large amounts or in great quantities; very much.
It rained heavily on Tuesday.
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without animation or vigor; in a dull manner; sluggishly.
Other Word Forms
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."
Vocabulary lists containing heavily
"Too Young to Drive?" and "Rules of the Road"
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Spelling Practice 1, Unit 5
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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.
"The first 72 hours are critical to saving lives, and efforts are heavily focused on ensuring timely medical attention for those affected," he said, speaking from Washington.
From Barron's • Jun. 26, 2026
It was just about 16,000 for Scottish Premiership matches last campaign, a number heavily inflated by the crowds Celtic and Rangers attract.
From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026
Bayer has said it is investing heavily in creating new technologies and aims to launch a new biotech soybean, called Vyconic, in the coming years.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026
Caracas’ main airport shut down after it was heavily damaged in Wednesday’s two devastating earthquakes, delaying the entry of aid crews from the United States and other nations.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026
The fox, who was still on the ground sighing heavily under the burden of being misunderstood, suddenly stopped and raised her head.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
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.
