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

There certainly are harmful chemicals, carcinogens, toxins, heavy metals, respiratory irritants and other things inside of there that certainly can cause immediate harm. —Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026

This could enable new approaches in lithium recovery from seawater, removal of heavy metals from drinking water, advanced battery recycling and new diagnostic and sensor technologies. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 23 Mar. 2026

Initial testing by the nonprofit environmental group Heal the Bay in the weeks after the fires documented a spike in lead, mercury and other heavy metals in coastal waters. —Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026

The air was filled with sulfur oxides, heavy metal dust and airborne particulates. —Ella Whitman, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for heavy metal

• diacetyl
• betel
• cetyl
• kettle
• mettle
• nettle
• petal
• setal
• settle
• gunmetal
• nonmetal
• resettle