heavily

adverb

heavi·​ly ˈhe-və-lē How to pronounce heavily (audio)
1
: to a great degree : severely
2
: slowly and laboriously : dully
3
archaic : with sorrow : grievously
4
: in a heavy manner

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In its early years, the project also relied heavily on outside consultants, instead of staffing up with megaproject experts–like Choudri. Alan Ohnsman, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025 Both depend heavily on negotiations that are still taking shape. Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025 They are intended to give a snapshot of how campuses and districts are faring academically through a formula that is heavily weighted by scores from the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness exam, or STAAR. Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Aug. 2025 At the same time, the Nation’s nuclear fuel cycle infrastructure has severely atrophied, leaving the United States heavily dependent on foreign sources of uranium as well as uranium enrichment and conversion services. Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 12 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for heavily

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of heavily was before the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Heavily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavily. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

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