heavily

adverb

heavi·​ly ˈhe-və-lē How to pronounce heavily (audio)
1
: to a great degree : severely
2
: slowly and laboriously : dully
3
archaic : with sorrow : grievously
4
: in a heavy manner

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Giants again leaned heavily on two tight end sets, with Theo Johnson and Daniel Bellinger making crucial blocks to spring rushes around the edge. Dan Duggan, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025 His father and best friend were heavily influential in that decision. Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025 However, secretive and unregulated practices by PBMs, which are heavily consolidated, have led to a chorus of drug manufacturers, pharmacists, and government regulators calling for more oversight. Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 11 Oct. 2025 The export controls could have a major impact, since the US is heavily reliant on China for rare earths. Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for heavily

Word History

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of heavily was before the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Heavily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavily. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on heavily

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