adjective
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big and strong
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characterized by vigour or force
a hefty blow
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large, bulky, or heavy
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sizable; involving a large amount of money
a hefty bill
a hefty wage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of hefty
Explanation
Something that's hefty is big and heavy. When you have to lug a hefty suitcase around, it helps if it has wheels. Hefty objects are large and bulky, and you can describe people as hefty when they're big and brawny and strong. When you buy a hefty bag of dog food for your hefty bull mastiff, you might want to ask a hefty young employee if she'll help you carry it to your car. Hefty comes from heft, which means both "to lift" and "weight or heaviness."
Vocabulary lists containing hefty
The Omnivore's Dilemma
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The Wednesday Wars
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Hello, Universe
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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.
According to Page Six, the model’s essay in the Cut had publishers champing at the bit in a 12-way bidding war that culminated in the hefty pay day.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 11, 2026
Last month, GameStop announced that CEO Ryan Cohen had withdrawn a potentially hefty CEO performance award from the company’s proxy statement.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 7, 2026
The sum at stake was a hefty one for a nonprofit community ensemble.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 5, 2026
But shareholders have pushed back against hefty pay packages, which come during a period of upheaval in Hollywood that has been buffeted by job losses from media consolidation and outsourcing.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2026
Tanisha elbows me in the ribs so hard, I let out a hefty cough.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
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.
