heavy-duty

adjective

heavy-du·​ty ˈhe-vē-ˈdü-tē 

-ˈdyü-

1

: able or designed to withstand unusual strain

heavy-duty trucks

2

: intensive

heavy-duty bargaining

3

: important, prominent

heavy-duty lawyers

Synonyms

• intensive
• intense
• heavy
• fierce
• deep
• ferocious

Examples of heavy-duty in a Sentence

some heavy-duty lobbying on the part of the president was necessary in order to get the bill passed

a group of heavy-duty politicians and other notables attended the gala

Recent Examples on the Web

The Trump administration’s EPA has now proposed to repeal the Endangerment Finding, along with the agency’s greenhouse gas standards for light, medium, and heavy-duty vehicles that depend on it. —James Broughel, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025

San Diego’s climate action plans calls for all light-duty fleet vehicles to be electric by 2035, along with 75% of its medium and heavy-duty fleet vehicles. —David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2025

Ideal for smaller spaces or heavy-duty uses, these petite folding seats offer all-weather flexibility and a myriad of playful color options. —Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 7 Aug. 2025

This heavy-duty model features ultraviolet inhibitors to protect the exterior from sun damage, holds up to 83 cans, and has insulation thick enough to keep ice from melting for up to five days. —Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for heavy-duty

• beauty
• booty
• cutie
• duty
• fruity
• putti
• snooty
• sooty
• sruti
• tutti

Kids Definition

heavy-duty

adjective

heavy-du·​ty

ˌhev-ē-ˈd(y)üt-ē

: able or designed to take hard use or great strain

heavy-duty vehicles