heavy metal

noun

1

: a metal of high specific gravity

2

: energetic and highly amplified electronic rock music having a hard beat

Borrowing elements of everything from grunge to progressive rock, from gospel to heavy metal …

—David Okamoto

Examples of heavy metal in a Sentence

He listens to heavy metal.

lead, gold, and other heavy metals

Recent Examples on the Web

Because microorganisms in water turn regular mercury into methylmercury, a toxic chemical form that binds tightly to fish tissue, the heavy metal accumulates to higher levels in aquatic animals. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026

Breaking Benjamin As pounding as any heavy metal band, this Pennsylvania group hammers its way to surprisingly melodic choruses. — Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026

Adidas‘ playbook already had nu-metal in it through a series of Korn collections that began in 2023, and a new band partner will add heavy metal to the mix. — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026

Chuck Varga, a founding member and vocalist of the heavy metal band Gwar, died on Friday following a battle with cancer. — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for heavy metal

• diacetyl
• acetyl
• bimetal
• gunmetal
• nonmetal
• resettle
• teakettle
• unsettle
• betel
• cetyl
• kettle
• mettle