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

The 133-foot-long locomotive is the last of the mammoth engines built to haul heavy metal during World War II. —Robert Abitbol, USA Today, 30 May 2026

The organizers of the annual Aftershock festival are giving unsigned and independent bands a chance to perform at the West Coast’s largest rock, punk and heavy metal festival. —Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026

Researchers also examined studies finding that vaping aerosols contain potentially carcinogenic compounds, including formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and heavy metals such as nickel, chromium and lead that may come from heating elements within devices. —Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 28 May 2026

The study also arrives during growing public scrutiny around contaminants and heavy metals in disposable menstrual products. —Tanya Benedicto Klich, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for heavy metal

• diacetyl
• acetyl
• bimetal
• gunmetal
• nonmetal
• resettle
• teakettle
• unsettle
• betel
• cetyl
• kettle
• mettle