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

The agency added city funding is expected to make up the majority of its staffing budget going forward, making its future structure heavily dependent on decisions by the City of Los Angeles. —Teresa Liu, Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026

But his style, admitted Dupré, has always been heavily influenced by Travis — which can be a challenge when trying to maintain his own identity as an artist, while also honoring Travis' legacy. —Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026

But the easiest antidote is to lean heavily into basketball. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026

These most often include the books the publisher actively hopes will become bestsellers and therefore promote heavily ahead of release. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Apr. 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