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

The Big Tech stocks, which had done much of the heavy lifting since the start of the current bull market in late 2022, suddenly appeared to hit a wall.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

But the key is the free energy you obtain by letting heat from the air outside do much of the heavy lifting in boiling the refrigerant when it is cold.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

In 2025, Konczal notes, “health care continued to do the heavy lifting, while the rest of the labor market collapsed. The promised handoff from government-adjacent employment to private-sector dynamism never materialized.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

Freeze citrus peels, berries, fresh herbs or edible flowers into ice cubes and let them do the heavy lifting.

From Salon • Feb. 3, 2026

I don’t know where they moved the couches, but I do know they did a lot of heavy lifting to set this up for me, and that I should be more appreciative than I am.

From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen