weighty

[ wey-tee ]

adjective

, weight·i·er, weight·i·est.

1. having considerable weight; heavy; ponderous:

   a weighty bundle.

   Antonyms: light

2. burdensome or troublesome:

   the weightier cares of sovereignty.

3. important or momentous:

   weighty negotiations.

   Synonyms: consequential, grave, serious, significant

   Antonyms: unimportant, light

4. having or exerting influence, power, etc.; influential:

   a weighty merchant of Boston.

weighty

/ ˈweɪtɪ /

adjective

1. having great weight
2. important or momentous
3. causing anxiety or worry

Derived Forms

• ˈweightily, adverb
• ˈweightiness, noun

Other Words From

• weighti·ly adverb
• weighti·ness noun
• un·weighty adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of weighty¹

First recorded in 1480–90; weight, -y ¹

Synonym Study

See heavy.

Example Sentences

I can tell you, in my opinion, this is the most weighty vote we have given in my seven years on the committee.

From Washington Post

The company has little cash, weighty pension debts and lease commitments, and uncertain earnings.’

From ProPublica

The spring-assist handle made lifting weighty wet stuff easier and put less strain on my back.

From Popular-Science

The company has little cash, weighty pension debts and lease commitments, and uncertain future earnings.

From ProPublica

They’re all of a sudden burdened with the weighty responsibilities of adulthood – their first career choices, their first disappointments professionally, or maybe major ones romantically.

From Freakonomics

The sharply tailored blazer and weighty jewelry that cling to her body hints at the dominant personality she possesses.

From The Daily Beast

She tackles weighty subjects with a naive sensibility and faux-innocence, but skillfully avoids dumbing them down.

From The Daily Beast

“I believe in freedom of speech,” he says with a weighty stare.

From The Daily Beast

Well, the implications would be many and weighty, both for the diminished USA and for the new entity.

From The Daily Beast

Throughout, these weighty matters are examined candidly and wistfully, with the wisdom that only age and inwardness can bring.

From The Daily Beast

Desks and boxes were thrust aside, the winch was manned, and the weighty lantern mounted slowly to its nocturnal watch-tower.

From Project Gutenberg

The experienced courtier may have thought the matter too weighty for women, for he wrote all privately to Burghley.

From Project Gutenberg

These were positive and weighty grievances, which ought, it was urged, to be remedied.

From Project Gutenberg

He urged that there should be "a temperate but weighty remonstrance" from parliament, backed by half a million Italian signatures.

From Project Gutenberg

It is a serious and weighty matter for you to decide; therefore should not be settled hastily.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• consequential
• earnest
• meaningful
• momentous
• portentous
• significant
• sober
• solemn
• somber
• substantial