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

Humanitarian workers want more heavy lifting equipment as well as spare parts for existing machines to clear away rubbish.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

A $20 billion divestment program through 2027 will do much of the heavy lifting but higher free cash flow could enable BP to pay down its debt quicker than previously anticipated.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

By Weekend 2, most of the heavy lifting has been done, expectations shaped, narratives set, content circulated.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

In the short term, OpenAI is focused on letting humans act as "orchestrators" while AI models do the "heavy lifting," chief research officer Mark Chen said at the briefing.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 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