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
Long before modern multiculturalism, the American founding itself drew heavily upon biblical ideas and categories rooted in the Torah.
—
Ari Berman, New York Daily News, 15 May 2026
Kenscoff, the farming town outside Port-au-Prince where Paul lived with her five children, had been spared the heavily armed criminal groups that occupied most of the capital.
—Widlore Mérancourt, Washington Post, 15 May 2026
The question weighed heavily at Tortoise’s live shows over the past year, during which his integral contribution to the Chicago instrumental legends’ heady sound was often missed.
—Dave Segal, SPIN, 15 May 2026
According to company materials, many firms still rely heavily on manual processes and legacy tools, leaving room for costly miscommunication and delays.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for heavily
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Ari Berman, New York Daily News, 15 May 2026
Kenscoff, the farming town outside Port-au-Prince where Paul lived with her five children, had been spared the heavily armed criminal groups that occupied most of the capital.
—Widlore Mérancourt, Washington Post, 15 May 2026
The question weighed heavily at Tortoise’s live shows over the past year, during which his integral contribution to the Chicago instrumental legends’ heady sound was often missed.
—Dave Segal, SPIN, 15 May 2026
According to company materials, many firms still rely heavily on manual processes and legacy tools, leaving room for costly miscommunication and delays.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for heavily
Cite this Entry
“Heavily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavily. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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