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.
They are for and against a hefty property-tax increase proposal headed to a vote Tuesday—one both sides agree could profoundly shape the Western Massachusetts community of roughly 18,000 residents.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
Should Carey manage to find a buyer willing to pay anything close to her asking price, however, that sum would easily cover the outstanding loan amount—and leave the singer with a hefty profit to boot.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026
Most of the people that the BBC has talked to are still paying hefty prices for access to the internet.
From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026
If the reported price tag is accurate, it’s a hefty one for a show with about 70,000 viewers per episode.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
His nose is like a capsized ship, his mouth the size of three, his jaw and cheekbones hefty as armor, and his eyes are iridescent.
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
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.
