This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
ponderous
[ pon-der-uhs ]
/ ˈpɒn dər əs /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
adjective
of great weight; heavy; massive.
awkward or unwieldy: He carried a ponderous burden on his back.
dull and labored: a ponderous dissertation.
OTHER WORDS FOR ponderous
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
OTHER WORDS FROM ponderous
Words nearby ponderous
pond, pond-apple, ponder, ponderable, ponderosa pine, ponderous, pond hockey, Pondicherry, pond life, pond lily, Pondo
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), nounWord 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