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
Fisch said Washington also recruits heavily in California and hopes the game’s timing will bring a lot of eyes to the two programs.
—
Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 13 Dec. 2025
Protests were expected for the game in the heavily Democratic city after Trump suggested sending the National Guard to Baltimore to help address the city's rampant crime.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 13 Dec. 2025
But DiCaprio's already been nominated for a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild award, and is heavily tipped to receive a Best Actor nod at the 2026 Academy Awards.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Dec. 2025
For now, OpenAI is a cash-burning machine going up against tech’s megacaps and their chip suppliers, drawing comparisons to earlier waves of high-growth tech firms that spent heavily for years to challenge behemoth incumbents, but to mixed results.
—Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heavily
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Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 13 Dec. 2025
Protests were expected for the game in the heavily Democratic city after Trump suggested sending the National Guard to Baltimore to help address the city's rampant crime.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 13 Dec. 2025
But DiCaprio's already been nominated for a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild award, and is heavily tipped to receive a Best Actor nod at the 2026 Academy Awards.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Dec. 2025
For now, OpenAI is a cash-burning machine going up against tech’s megacaps and their chip suppliers, drawing comparisons to earlier waves of high-growth tech firms that spent heavily for years to challenge behemoth incumbents, but to mixed results.
—Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 12 Dec. 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 15 Dec. 2025.
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