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

The two acting heavyweights had never worked together until these two shows. — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026

Representatives from Mubadala, Space42, Majid Al Futtaim Group, ADNOC Group, Databricks, and Snowflake were all present, among many other global heavyweights. — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026

Nvidia, Google, Microsoft, and other tech heavyweights have collaborated to sketch a new electrical architecture for them, with a different kind of transformer facing the grid, and a small industry has formed to build it. — Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

He’s held mitts for world champions, for Olympic heavyweights, and for too many professionals to count in 30-something years of boxing. — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 14 Oct. 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