heavily

adverb

heavi·​ly ˈhe-və-lē 

1

: to a great degree : severely

The building was heavily damaged.

The decision weighs heavily on my mind. [=is very difficult and worrisome]

2

: slowly and laboriously : dully

sighed heavily

3

archaic : with sorrow : grievously

4

: in a heavy manner

sat down heavily

Synonyms of heavily

• extremely
• highly
• terribly
• very
• incredibly
• badly
• severely
• too
• so
• intensely
• greatly
• damned
• desperately
• really
• damn
• seriously
• wildly
• far
• much
• especially
• most

Examples of heavily in a Sentence

He relies heavily on his wife for advice.

These artists borrow heavily from Picasso.

Our flowers were heavily damaged by a late spring frost.

She drank and smoked heavily for years.

He sat down heavily on the couch.

He was leaning heavily on the table.

She sighed heavily then said “Okay, I'll do it.”

Recent Examples on the Web

At least 383 buildings and over 1,000 other structures had collapsed or were heavily affected, and officials were still assessing the damage. — Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 27 June 2026

Satellite imagery illustrates the devastation in coastal cities that were among the most heavily impacted by Wednesday’s back-to-back earthquakes. — Osmary Hernández, CNN Money, 27 June 2026

Overall, some 35% of workers in the BLS survey did some or all work at home – again, heavily skewed toward the information sector. — Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026

The new guidance was heavily criticized by health groups, which argued the decision could sow confusion and leave children vulnerable to serious disease. — Joe Walsh, CBS News, 26 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing heavily

• heavily armed

Rhymes for heavily

• evilly