heavily

adverb

heavi·​ly ˈhe-və-lē 

1

: to a great degree : severely

2

: slowly and laboriously : dully

3

archaic : with sorrow : grievously

4

: in a heavy manner

Synonyms

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

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

Plus, the effectiveness of border walls is hotly debated, even in populated areas where barriers tend to be heavily reinforced. —Sydney Lake, Fortune, 26 June 2025

Although everyone’s access to care will be affected, the burden of increasing illness and higher costs will fall heavily on rural areas and underserved communities. —Arthur L. Kellermann, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025

Residential projects tend to rely heavily on personal client relationships, which can be hit or miss. —Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 26 June 2025

The Islamic Republic is more isolated and heavily sanctioned. —Sanam Vakil, Time, 26 June 2025

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