heft

[heft]

See more synonyms for heft on Thesaurus.com

noun

weight; heaviness: It was a rather flimsy chair, without much heft to it.
significance or importance.
Archaic. the bulk or main part.

verb (used with object)

to test the weight of by lifting and balancing: He hefted the spear for a few moments, and then flung it at the foe.
to heave; hoist.

Origin of heft

1550–60; heave + -t, variant of -th¹

Related formsheft·er, nounun·heft·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for heft

Contemporary Examples

Its heft may scare away some casual readers, but Rough Country is surprisingly accessible.
How Religion Turned Texas Red
William O’Connor
August 20, 2014
In a room off the living room, saddles lounge everywhere you look, finely tooled leather saddles, things of great weight and heft.
The Death of a Rodeo Cowboy
Peter Richmond
May 11, 2014
The Daily Pic: 1930s paint samples help Morgan Fisher get at abstraction's heft.
Tinted Love
Blake Gopnik
October 4, 2013
Despite its heft, The Hobbit opened last weekend to an impressive $84.8 million, a new December record.
Why Are 2012’s Holiday Movies So Damn Long?
Ramin Setoodeh
December 17, 2012
The Daily Pic: In 1978, Daniel Joseph Martinez made shadows have heft.
Photography's Heavy Lifting
Blake Gopnik
October 17, 2012

Historical Examples

An' I'll be whipped if 'Mandy herself didn't tell the heft on't arter 'twas all over.
Meadow Grass
Alice Brown
I gathered that the heft of his spare change had come from dickers in stocks and bonds.
The Depot Master
Joseph C. Lincoln
I'd told him the heft of the yarn on the way from the church, and he was interested.
The Depot Master
Joseph C. Lincoln
"I spend the heft of my daytimes out in the Back yard," he wrote.
Cap'n Dan's Daughter
Joseph C. Lincoln
They haven't any more business sense than a hen, the heft of 'em ain't.
Galusha the Magnificent
Joseph C. Lincoln

British Dictionary definitions for heft

heft

verb (tr)

to assess the weight of (something) by lifting
to lift

noun

US weight
US the main part

Derived Formshefter, noun

Word Origin

C19: probably from heave, by analogy with thieve, theft, cleave, cleft

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

Word Origin and History for heft

n.

mid-15c., "weight, heaviness, quality of weight," from heave on analogy of thieve/theft, weave/weft, etc.; also influenced by heft, obsolete past participle of heave.

v.

"to lift," 1660s, from heft (n.). Related: Hefted; hefting.

heft

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}heft

Related Words

Examples from the Web for heft

Contemporary Examples

Its heft may scare away some casual readers, but Rough Country is surprisingly accessible.

In a room off the living room, saddles lounge everywhere you look, finely tooled leather saddles, things of great weight and heft.

The Daily Pic: 1930s paint samples help Morgan Fisher get at abstraction's heft.

Despite its heft, The Hobbit opened last weekend to an impressive $84.8 million, a new December record.

The Daily Pic: In 1978, Daniel Joseph Martinez made shadows have heft.

Historical Examples

An' I'll be whipped if 'Mandy herself didn't tell the heft on't arter 'twas all over.

I gathered that the heft of his spare change had come from dickers in stocks and bonds.

I'd told him the heft of the yarn on the way from the church, and he was interested.

"I spend the heft of my daytimes out in the Back yard," he wrote.

They haven't any more business sense than a hen, the heft of 'em ain't.

heft

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for heft

n.

v.

Origin of heft