hefty

1 of 2

adjective

ˈhef-tē 

heftier; heftiest

1

: quite heavy

a hefty book

2

a

: marked by bigness, bulk, and usually strength

a hefty football player

b

: powerful, mighty

gave the door a hefty shove

c

: impressively large : substantial

hefty portions

a hefty price

heftily

ˈhef-tə-lē 

adverb

heftiness

ˈhef-tē-nəs 

noun

heftiness

2 of 2

noun

heft·​i·​ness -tēnə̇s 

plural -es

: the quality or state of being hefty

Synonyms of hefty

Adjective

• massive
• heavy

Examples of hefty in a Sentence

Adjective

He was a tall, hefty man.

Her boss gave her a hefty raise.

a hefty dose of irony

He gave the door a hefty kick.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

For a hefty $650 discount, back-to-school laptop shopping just got 45% cheaper. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2026

Now, a new kid on the Los Angeles block is looking to shatter that benchmark with a hefty $68 million sticker price. — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2026

The period yielded a hefty touring schedule, including a headlining stint, an opening gig for rock band Cage the Elephant and debut festival performances at Chicago’s Lollapalooza and Atlanta’s Shaky Knees. — Deasia Paige, AJC.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Daytime items include lofty scones with a side of clotted cream and seasonal jam, flaky sausage rolls hefty with Beads & Barnett pork, and egg soldiers served with streaky bacon. — The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1863, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing hefty

• carries a hefty price tag
• hefty price tag

Rhymes for hefty

• lefty

Kids Definition

hefty

adjective

ˈhef-tē 

heftier; heftiest

: heavy entry 1 sense 1a, bulky

heftily

-tə-lē 

adverb

heftiness

-tē-nəs 

noun