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
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
Shares of South Korean chip heavyweight Samsung Electronics rose more than 4% after jumping as much as 10% earlier in the session.
—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
24 June 2026
Curacao’s goalkeeper, who plays for Miami FC, made World Cup history, Cape Verde tied another heavyweight, and more.
—
Andre Fernandez,
Miami Herald,
24 June 2026
The sessions brought together an impressive cast of Nashville heavyweights.
—
Spin Staff,
SPIN,
23 June 2026
The class can deploy cruise missiles, heavyweight torpedoes, and naval commandos while remaining exceptionally difficult to detect.
—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
23 June 2026
The new outpost is located at the entrance of the exclusive Village Royal shopping district in the 8th arrondissement, neighboring luxury heavyweights Hermès, Prada, and Berluti.
—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
22 June 2026
Industry heavyweights also saluted the executive.
—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
22 June 2026
Streep joined Hollywood heavyweights Michael Douglas, Barbra Streisand and Jerry Hall as the foursome posed with Mick Jagger backstage at the Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels tour in 1989.
—
Grace Gavilanes,
PEOPLE,
22 June 2026
In a big matchup between division-leading heavyweights, Atlanta took two of three from Milwaukee over the weekend, even handing Jacob Misiorowski — now atop our starting pitcher rankings — a loss Friday night.
—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
22 June 2026
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Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
24 June 2026
Curacao’s goalkeeper, who plays for Miami FC, made World Cup history, Cape Verde tied another heavyweight, and more.
—
Andre Fernandez,
Miami Herald,
24 June 2026
The sessions brought together an impressive cast of Nashville heavyweights.
—
Spin Staff,
SPIN,
23 June 2026
The class can deploy cruise missiles, heavyweight torpedoes, and naval commandos while remaining exceptionally difficult to detect.
—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
23 June 2026
The new outpost is located at the entrance of the exclusive Village Royal shopping district in the 8th arrondissement, neighboring luxury heavyweights Hermès, Prada, and Berluti.
—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
22 June 2026
Industry heavyweights also saluted the executive.
—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
22 June 2026
Streep joined Hollywood heavyweights Michael Douglas, Barbra Streisand and Jerry Hall as the foursome posed with Mick Jagger backstage at the Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels tour in 1989.
—
Grace Gavilanes,
PEOPLE,
22 June 2026
In a big matchup between division-leading heavyweights, Atlanta took two of three from Milwaukee over the weekend, even handing Jacob Misiorowski — now atop our starting pitcher rankings — a loss Friday night.
—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
22 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heavyweight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavyweight. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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