weighty

adjective

ˈwā-tē 

weightier; weightiest

1

a

: of much importance or consequence : momentous

a weighty problem

b

: solemn

2

a

: weighing a considerable amount

b

: heavy in proportion to its bulk

weighty metal

3

: powerful, telling

weighty arguments

weightily

ˈwā-tə-lē 

adverb

weightiness

ˈwā-tē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of weighty

• serious
• important

Choose the Right Synonym for weighty

heavy, weighty, ponderous, cumbrous, cumbersome mean having great weight.

heavy implies that something has greater density or thickness than the average of its kind or class.

a heavy child for his age

weighty suggests having actual and not just relative weight.

a load of weighty boxes

ponderous implies having great weight because of size and massiveness with resulting great inertia.

ponderous elephants in a circus parade

cumbrous and cumbersome imply heaviness and bulkiness that make for difficulty in grasping, moving, carrying, or manipulating.

wrestled with the cumbrous furniture

early cameras were cumbersome and inconvenient

Examples of weighty in a Sentence

She grabbed a weighty book off the shelf.

The film deals with some weighty issues.

Those are weighty arguments in your favor.

He was a weighty figure in the art world.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Softstreme High-rise Straight-leg Cropped Pant is crafted from the brand’s unbelievably peachy-soft Softstreme fabric, which has a weighty drape that lends a luxurious, elevated touch to pants cozy enough to sleep in. —Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2025

The drama category positioning underscores Gunn’s ambition to present the Man of Steel — traditionally associated with truth, justice and the American way — as a vehicle for weighty themes. —Clayton Davis, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025

Few clients of this company were as weighty as the fossil fuel companies themselves. —Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025

Friends and family will often counsel against making such a weighty decision in the midst of emotional turbulence, not grasping that a profound sense of misalignment is what is feeding the turbulence in the first place. —James Marcus, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for weighty

• eighty
• kati
• katy
• platy
• slaty

Kids Definition

weighty

adjective

ˈwāt-ē 

weightier; weightiest

1

: having much weight : heavy

2

a

: of much importance : serious

weighty problems

b

: showing seriousness : solemn

a weighty expression on her face

3

: having the power to influence or persuade

weighty arguments

weightily

ˈwāt-ᵊl-ē 

adverb

weightiness noun