ponderous

[ pon-der-uhs ]

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.

Origin of ponderous

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

Other words for ponderous

3	heavy, boring, dreary, plodding, tedious

See synonyms for ponderous on Thesaurus.com

Opposites for ponderous

3	lively, exciting

See antonyms for ponderous on Thesaurus.com

Other words from ponderous

pon·der·ous·ly, adverb
pon·der·ous·ness, pon·der·os·i·ty [pon-duh-ros-i-tee], /ˌpɒn dəˈrɒs ɪ ti/, noun
non·pon·der·os·i·ty, noun
non·pon·der·ous, adjective
non·pon·der·ous·ly, adverb
non·pon·der·ous·ness, noun
o·ver·pon·der·ous, adjective
o·ver·pon·der·ous·ly, adverb
o·ver·pon·der·ous·ness, noun
un·pon·der·ous, adjective
un·pon·der·ous·ly, adverb
un·pon·der·ous·ness, noun

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

How to use ponderous in a sentence

Glass’s short book ably meets the ponderous inquiries of caregiving in a tribute to both fragility and forbearance.
Emma Glass’s ‘Rest and Be Thankful’ powerfully describes what it means to be a health-care worker | Pete Tosiello | December 2, 2020 | Washington Post
A person who never goes off-road probably doesn’t need to opt for a ponderous SUV as a daily commuter.
Inside My Custom Toyota Land Cruiser Build | Wes Siler | October 15, 2020 | Outside Online
Ponderously using 900 wds to make a pt that cd be made in a sentence or 2.
Happy Birthday, Twitter! | David Frum | March 21, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
He got down ponderously from his stool and squeaked out behind the long counter in his shiny boots.
The Girls of Central High on the Stage | Gertrude W. Morrison
Scattergood arose ponderously and limped out into the middle of the dusty road.
Scattergood Baines | Clarence Budington Kelland

When she ended he stood up ponderously, leaning against the desk; and for a second or two they looked at each other.
Summer | Edith Wharton
"Then that Dutch horn-player threw the bomb," propounded the head of the "Detective Bureau" ponderously.
Average Jones | Samuel Hopkins Adams
John Turner knew him well, and was ponderously silent respecting him.
Dross | Henry Seton Merriman

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 laborious: a ponderous oration

Origin of ponderous

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

Derived forms of ponderous

ponderously, adverb
ponderousness or ponderosity (ˌpɒndəˈrɒsɪtɪ), noun

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

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