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

Writers demand all kinds of different styles in their music; some want instrumental, some don’t mind lyrics, some want mellow classical while others want heavy metal or some other kind of driving beat. — Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026

The all-star rock and heavy metal lineup includes guitarists Marcus Nand and Britt Lightning, bassist Phil Soussan and drummer Fred Aching. — Ashley Hume , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026

These nanoscale components are usually made from rigid silicon and transition metal oxides, such as hafnium oxide (HfOx) or titanium dioxide (TiO2), and layered alongside dense, heavy metals like platinum or tungsten. — New Atlas, 18 Oct. 2026

The last employee to evacuate a data center in Kyiv closed the heavy metal door and took three steps down the stairs when a Russian drone slammed into the building. — Jane Lytvynenko, NBC news, 17 Oct. 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