ponderous

[ pon-der-uhs ]

/ ˈpɒn dər əs /

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adjective

of great weight; heavy; massive.

awkward or unwieldy: He carried a ponderous burden on his back.

dull and labored: a ponderous dissertation.

Nearby words

Origin of ponderous

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

SYNONYMS FOR ponderous

3. heavy, boring, dreary, plodding, tedious.

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ANTONYMS FOR ponderous

3. lively, exciting.

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Related forms

pon·der·ous·ly, adverbpon·der·ous·ness, pon·der·os·i·ty

[pon-duh-ros-i-tee] /ˌpɒn dəˈrɒs ɪ ti/, nounnon·pon·der·os·i·ty, nounnon·pon·der·ous, adjective

non·pon·der·ous·ly, adverbnon·pon·der·ous·ness, nouno·ver·pon·der·ous, adjectiveo·ver·pon·der·ous·ly, adverbo·ver·pon·der·ous·ness, nounun·pon·der·ous, adjectiveun·pon·der·ous·ly, adverbun·pon·der·ous·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ponderous

It was a ponderous labyrinth of bolts, locks, and steel doors, making it an almost impregnable fortress.
The High Society Bank Robber of the 1800s|J. North Conway|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Archer plays the lead in a ponderous but thoughtful one-act play penned by her husband, Terry Jastrow.
Anne Archer: Women in Hollywood Are Doomed Forever|Nico Hines|August 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In “Dirty 30,” there are no ponderous attempts to chart the entire history of the crisis in order to set the scene.
“Dirty 30”: Talking AIDS To The Basketball Wives Set|Hugh Ryan|February 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
No ponderous adult consideration is possible–rather, adolescent snickering prevails.
What the Man With No Ass Crack Can Teach Darwinists and Creationists|Kent Sepkowitz|January 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Yet even his staffers acknowledge he is a wooden candidate, a result of a long career in the ponderous halls of the House.
Gomez or Go Home: The Massachusetts Senate Race Is Down to the Wire—and It Matters Big Time|David Freedlander|June 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
About this period there was a ponderous machine with six broad wheels, and drawn by eight horses, called the Newcastle waggon.
Coaching, with Anecdotes of the Road|William Pitt Lennox
The heavy shutters and ponderous doors are always locked, except when some inquisitive foreigner desires to view.
The Kingdom of the Yellow Robe|Ernest Young
His tomb, on the brow of the hill, is marked by a huge mound of earth crowned by a ponderous marble slab.
Literary Shrines|Theodore F. Wolfe
It was a dull metallic clang, ponderous and slow, growing louder and ever louder—the tread of an armored man.
Sir Nigel|Arthur Conan Doyle
Assuredly the narrow doorways may easily be defended; for a time, at least, the ponderous walls will mock the cannonade.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Vol. 60, No. 374, December, 1846|Various

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 Formsponderously, 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

Word Origin and History for ponderous

ponderous

adj.

c.1400, "thick;" early 15c., "heavy, weighty, clumsy," from Latin ponderosus "of great weight; full of meaning," from pondus (genitive ponderis) "weight" (see pound (n.1)). Meaning "tedious" is first recorded 1704. Related: Ponderously; ponderousness.

ponderous

adjective

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of ponderous

Examples from the Web for ponderous

ponderous

adjective

Word Origin for ponderous

ponderous