heavyweight

noun

heavy·​weight ˈhe-vē-ˌwāt 

often attributive

1

: one that is above average in weight

2

: one in the usually heaviest class of contestants: such as

a

: a boxer in an unlimited weight division compare light heavyweight

b

: a weight lifter weighing more than 198 pounds

3

: one that possesses great power, prominence, or stature

industry heavyweights

Synonyms of heavyweight

• heavy
• big

Examples of heavyweight in a Sentence

Their company is one of the industry's heavyweights.

a heavyweight in the U.S. Senate, he has a lot of clout in judicial confirmations

Recent Examples on the Web

European heavyweights France and Spain lock horns today in the first semifinal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 14 July 2026

This comes after index heavyweight SK Hynix sank over 10% in Asian trade. — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 13 July 2026

The stop on Mulaney’s Mister Whatever tour drew more than 40,000 fans, placing him alongside music heavyweights such as Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam, all of whom have previously headlined the historic venue. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 13 July 2026

Its Virginia Payload Module gives it a large and well-defined cruise-missile capacity, while its torpedo tubes can launch Mk 48 heavyweight torpedoes. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 11 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing heavyweight

• light heavyweight

Rhymes for heavyweight

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

Kids Definition

heavyweight

noun

heavy·​weight ˈhev-ē-ˌwāt 

1

: one above average in weight

2

: one in the heaviest class of contestants

especially : a boxer in an unlimited weight division

3

: someone or something that is very important or powerful

a company that is an industry heavyweight