Dictionary.com

ponderous

[ pon-der-uhs ]
/ ˈpɒn dər əs /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: ponderous / ponderosity / ponderously / ponderousness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
of great weight; heavy; massive.
awkward or unwieldy: He carried a ponderous burden on his back.
dull and labored: a ponderous dissertation.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of ponderous

1375–1425; late Middle English (<Middle French ponderos, pondereuse) <Latin ponderōsus.See ponder, -ous

OTHER WORDS FROM ponderous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ponderous in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ponderous

ponderous
/ (ˈpɒndərəs) /

adjective
of great weight; heavy; huge
(esp of movement) lacking ease or lightness; awkward, lumbering, or graceless
dull or laboriousa ponderous oration

Derived forms of ponderous

ponderously, adverbponderousness or ponderosity (ˌpɒndəˈrɒsɪtɪ), noun

Word Origin for ponderous

C14: from Latin ponderōsus of great weight, from pondus weight
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
FEEDBACK