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
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
After midnight on September 30th, helicopters hovered above a large Chicago apartment building, and heavily armored agents rappelled from the choppers onto the roof.
—
Veralyn Williams, NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
Hurricane Beryl in July 2024 was the last storm to heavily impact Jamaica.
—Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
The area’s dining and accommodation options are top-notch, and though the town's wineries were heavily affected by Prohibition, there are now a variety of places to sample the area's vintages.
—Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
The film leaned heavily into dark humor, giving it a wildly different vibe from the original.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heavily
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Veralyn Williams, NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
Hurricane Beryl in July 2024 was the last storm to heavily impact Jamaica.
—Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
The area’s dining and accommodation options are top-notch, and though the town's wineries were heavily affected by Prohibition, there are now a variety of places to sample the area's vintages.
—Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
The film leaned heavily into dark humor, giving it a wildly different vibe from the original.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heavily
Cite this Entry
“Heavily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavily. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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