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
PLURAL
heavies-
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
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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
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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
-
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
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Related Words
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
- heavily adverb
- heaviness noun
- overheaviness noun
- overheavy adjective
- ultraheavy adjective
- unheaviness noun
- unheavy adjective
Etymology
Origin of heavy
First recorded before 900; Middle English hevi, Old English hefig, equivalent to hef(e) “weight” + -ig; heave -y 1
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.
Villa are playing well right now but this is a tough trip for them and with their heavy schedule it might be a game too far.
From BBC
“Interestingly, individual investors have also become concerned about the heavy concentration of the stock market in the AI theme,” she said, referring to a question asked in the weekly American Association of Individual Investors survey.
From MarketWatch
On Monday its report into the mishap concluded it had "inflicted heavy damage on the OBR's reputation".
From BBC
The Met Office also said strong winds would accompany Monday's heavy rain, particularly in coastal areas.
From BBC
Supply remains high and inventories are also heavy, they add.
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.
