heavy metal

noun

1

: a metal of high specific gravity

2

: energetic and highly amplified electronic rock music having a hard beat

Borrowing elements of everything from grunge to progressive rock, from gospel to heavy metal …

—David Okamoto

Examples of heavy metal in a Sentence

He listens to heavy metal.

lead, gold, and other heavy metals

Recent Examples on the Web

Foad adds that the idea of eliminating toxins comes from sweat washing away trace amounts of heavy metals from the skin, rather than flushing toxins from inside the body. — Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 1 July 2026

The set gives the heavy metal band its sixth leader on the ranking and its twelfth top 10 hit, adding to a run that stretches back decades. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

The discovery in plutonium hexaboride (PuB6) is significant because the heavy metal has been widely studied and used in industrial processes, yet this property remained unexplored. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 30 June 2026

In that way, her heavy metal songs are not so different from her previous musical identity as a New York folk singer with acoustic guitar. — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 29 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for heavy metal

• diacetyl
• acetyl
• bimetal
• gunmetal
• nonmetal
• resettle
• teakettle
• unsettle
• betel
• cetyl
• kettle
• mettle