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
- heftily adverb
- heftiness noun
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 Wednesday Wars
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The Omnivore's Dilemma
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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.
At the moment the NHS won't pay for these drugs and an 18-month course would set you back a hefty £90,000 privately.
From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026
Three Los Angeles school district unions won major victories with deals that bring hefty raises and prompted celebratory messages about a new chapter in local education progress.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026
REITs tend to pay hefty dividend yields and often rally when bond rates fall.
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
Sales fell 6% as strong growth in the U.S. and Europe only partially offset a hefty sales drop in China, and challenging macroeconomic and market conditions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
Then I look down into the glass case, with its big hefty padlock on it.
From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz
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.
