heavy
Americanadjective
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of great weight; hard to lift or carry.
a heavy load.
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of great amount, quantity, or size; extremely large; massive.
a heavy vote; a heavy snowfall.
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of great force, intensity, turbulence, etc..
a heavy sea.
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of more than the usual or average weight.
a heavy person; heavy freight.
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having much weight in proportion to bulk; being of high specific gravity.
a heavy metal.
- Synonyms:
- dense
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of major import; grave; serious.
a heavy offense.
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deep or intense; profound.
a heavy thinker;
heavy slumber.
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Military.
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thickly armed or equipped with guns of large size.
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(of guns) of the more powerful sizes.
heavy weapons.
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hard to bear; burdensome; harsh; oppressive.
heavy taxes.
- Synonyms:
- difficult, cumbersome, grievous, onerous, severe
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hard to cope with; trying; difficult.
a heavy task.
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being as indicated to an unusually great degree.
a heavy buyer.
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broad, thick, or coarse; not delicate.
heavy lines drawn in charcoal.
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weighted or laden.
air heavy with moisture.
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fraught; loaded; charged.
words heavy with meaning.
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depressed with trouble or sorrow; showing sorrow; sad.
a heavy heart.
- Synonyms:
- downhearted, downcast, despondent, dejected, mournful, gloomy
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without vivacity or interest; ponderous; dull.
a heavy style.
- Synonyms:
- boring, burdensome, wearisome, tiresome, tedious
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slow in movement or action; clumsy.
a heavy walk.
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loud and deep; sonorous.
a heavy sound.
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(of the sky) overcast or cloudy.
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exceptionally dense in substance; insufficiently raised or leavened; thick.
heavy doughnuts.
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(of food) not easily digested.
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being in a state of advanced pregnancy; nearing childbirth.
heavy with child;
heavy with young.
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having a large capacity, capable of doing rough work, or having a large output.
a heavy truck.
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producing or refining basic materials, as steel or coal, used in manufacturing.
heavy industry.
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sober, serious, or somber.
a heavy part in a drama.
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Chemistry. of or relating to an isotope of greater than normal atomic weight, as heavy hydrogen or heavy oxygen, or to a compound containing such an element, as heavy water.
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Slang.
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very good; excellent.
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very serious or important.
a really heavy relationship.
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Phonetics. (of a syllable)
noun
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a somber or ennobled theatrical role or character.
Iago is the heavy in Othello.
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the theatrical role of a villain.
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an actor who plays a theatrical heavy.
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Military. a gun of great weight or large caliber.
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Slang. a very important or influential person.
a reception for government heavies.
adverb
adjective
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of comparatively great weight
a heavy stone
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having a relatively high density
lead is a heavy metal
-
great in yield, quality, or quantity
heavy rain
heavy traffic
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great or considerable
heavy emphasis
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hard to bear, accomplish, or fulfil
heavy demands
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sad or dejected in spirit or mood
heavy at heart
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coarse or broad
a heavy line
heavy features
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(of soil) having a high clay content; cloggy
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solid or fat
heavy legs
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(of an industry) engaged in the large-scale complex manufacture of capital goods or extraction of raw materials Compare light 2
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serious; grave
-
military
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armed or equipped with large weapons, armour, etc
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(of guns, etc) of a large and powerful type
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-
(of a syllable) having stress or accentuation Compare light 2
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dull and uninteresting
a heavy style
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prodigious
a heavy drinker
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(of cakes, bread, etc) insufficiently leavened
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deep and loud
a heavy thud
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-
dramatic and powerful; grandiose
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not immediately comprehensible or appealing
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slang
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unpleasant or tedious
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wonderful
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(of rock music) having a powerful beat; hard
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weighted; burdened
heavy with child
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clumsy and slow
heavy going
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permeating
a heavy smell
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cloudy or overcast, esp threatening rain
heavy skies
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not easily digestible
a heavy meal
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(of an element or compound) being or containing an isotope with greater atomic weight than that of the naturally occurring element
heavy hydrogen
heavy water
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horse racing (of the going on a racecourse) soft and muddy
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slang using, or prepared to use, violence or brutality
the heavy mob
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informal using large quantities of
this car is heavy on petrol
noun
-
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a villainous role
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an actor who plays such a part
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military
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a large fleet unit, esp an aircraft carrier or battleship
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a large calibre or weighty piece of artillery
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informal (usually plural) a serious newspaper
the Sunday heavies
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informal a heavyweight boxer, wrestler, etc
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slang a man hired to threaten violence or deter others by his presence
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strong bitter beer
adverb
Synonym Usage
Heavy, momentous, weighty refer to anything having a considerable amount of figurative weight. Heavy suggests the carrying of a figurative burden: words heavy with menace. Momentous emphasizes the idea of great and usually serious consequences: a momentous occasion, statement. Weighty, seldom used literally, refers to something heavy with importance, often concerned with public affairs, which may require deliberation and careful judgment: a weighty matter, problem.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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heavinessnoun
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overheavinessnoun
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unheavinessnoun
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overheavyadjective
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ultraheavyadjective
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unheavyadjective
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heavilyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of heavy
First recorded before 900; Middle English hevi, Old English hefig, equivalent to hef(e) “weight” + -ig; cf. heave -y 1
Explanation
Something that's heavy weighs a lot, either physically or emotionally. It's hard to lift a heavy backpack, and it's hard to handle a heavy topic, like the meaning of life. Bulky, substantial things are heavy, and you can also describe people as heavy, especially if they're big-boned and carry a lot of weight. Thick or strong things are sometimes called heavy as well: "The apple tree was heavy with blossoms, but when the heavy wind started up, they all blew away." Heavy breathing is fast and labored, and heavy food is just too rich or filling.
Vocabulary lists containing heavy
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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.
See Examples For:
The bloc’s regulator said the tech giant may be in breach of its digital rules, opening the door to heavy fines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
“These gains are entirely driven by high-intensity adopters with entry-level jobs rising by about 12%, suggesting that heavy AI investment is complementing workforce growth rather than replacing workers,” says Slok.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
Fontaine was no bruiser on black-and-white TV, when the balls were heavy leather and keepers unprotected from assault from forwards.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
The fire sent plumes of black smoke over Boyle Heights and other parts of Los Angeles, leaving the air heavy with soot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
When they reached the river, Clare realized he’d forgotten to account for the recent heavy rains.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
The men’s Huskies are heavies, too, though a slight underdog Saturday against No. 3 seed Illinois.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026
He named a long list of industry heavies and bands before adding: "To the homeless and the powerless and the forgotten, we always say thank you."
From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2025
What’s happening reminds me of the concluding line Lisa Simpson sang when Springfield Nuclear Power Plant workers went on strike against Mr. Burns and his heavies:
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2025
De Niro certainly has made a boatload of money playing heavies and knows what he’s talking about.
From Salon ● May 30, 2024
Big Time showed green and went past the heavies.
From "145th Street: Short Stories" by Walter Dean Myers
There is some potential that heavier rains could reach the area after Monday, but the outlook remains uncertain, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
While the tool is free for "everyday creation", Meta said heavier users can access additional usage through one of its subscription plans.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Locals have spotted a heavier ICE presence there—including in the neighborhood where Araujo was killed.
From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2026
But the machines are getting bigger and heavier, approaching 200 pounds in some cases.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
I went up to the kitchen and got it for him, except I made it a good deal heavier on the soda than I knew he wanted me to.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
"The greatest impact is expected in Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung and Yilan, while the heaviest rainfall is forecast for mountainous areas in central and northern Taiwan."
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
In Catia La Mar, just outside the nation’s capital, where some of the heaviest damage had been felt, Rafael Montilla said he and his neighbors were still working alone to find survivors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
It is also one of the heaviest parrots and is known for its unusual nighttime lifestyle.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 2026
The freshly minted silverware weighs in at 26kg,, external making it the heaviest major trophy in British sport.
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
A huge bony cleaning woman with white hair flapping all over her head came in the morning and the evening to do the heaviest work.
From "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka
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.
