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Synonyms

heavyweight

American  
[hev-ee-weyt] / ˈhɛv iˌweɪt /

adjective

  1. heavy in weight.

  2. of more than average weight or thickness.

    a coat of heavyweight material.

  3. noting or pertaining to a boxer, wrestler, etc., of the heaviest competitive class, especially a professional boxer weighing more than 175 pounds (79.4 kilograms).

  4. of or relating to the weight class or division of such boxers.

    a heavyweight bout.

  5. (of a riding horse, especially a hunter) able to carry up to 205 pounds (93 kilograms).

  6. designating a person, company, nation, or other entity that is extremely powerful, influential, or important.

    a team of heavyweight lawyers.

noun

  1. a person of more than average weight.

  2. a heavyweight boxer or wrestler.

  3. a person, company, nation, or other entity that is powerful and influential.

    a price hike initiated by the heavyweights in the industry.
heavyweight British  
/ ˈhɛvɪˌweɪt /

noun

  1. a person or thing that is heavier than average

    1. a professional boxer weighing more than 175 pounds (79 kg)

    2. an amateur boxer weighing more than 81 kg (179 pounds)

    3. ( as modifier )

      the world heavyweight championship

  3. a wrestler in a similar weight category (usually over 214 pounds (97 kg))

  4. informal an important or highly influential person

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of heavyweight

First recorded in 1850–55; heavy + weight

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.

Autovol, another industry heavyweight, rarely has trouble getting coverage when it needs it, he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Once regarded as boxing's most devastating puncher, the former WBC heavyweight champion has stopped 43 opponents in 44 wins, often in spectacular fashion.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

The sport is now deep into its next generation of champions and Woods hovers over all of it, both as an idol to today’s contenders and a heavyweight force behind the game.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

The list of appointees includes Oracle chief Larry Ellison and Silicon Valley heavyweight Marc Andreessen, as well as Nvidia boss Jensen Huang and Lisa Su of chipmaker AMD.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

Baba and I live with the Bengali female versions of heavyweight boxers Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton.

From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins

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.