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
South Korea's Kospi fell over 2%, with chip heavyweights Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix posting losses of over 7% and 8% respectively.
—
Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2025
Last month Cameroonian elections saw 92-year-old president Paul Biya reelected for an eighth term, while Ivory Coast's 83-year-year-old Alassane Ouattara won a fourth term having barred opposition heavyweights from running.
—Kate Bartlett, NPR, 3 Nov. 2025
Liverpool and Real Madrid, two heavyweights of European football, will be reunited at Anfield on Tuesday.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Unmoored by the star-power vacuum left by heavyweights Ego Nwodim and Heidi Gardner, the cast is clearly straining to find its footing in these early episodes.
—Charu Sinha, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2025
This stamp features a 1974 Associated Press photo of the three-time world heavyweight boxing champion and activist, which was designed by Antonio Alcalá.
—Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Featuring Brandy, Toni Braxton, Jojo, Mario, Tank and Ne-Yo, the Folded Homage EP finds six ‘90s and ‘00s R&B heavyweights reimagining Kehlani’s hit, which recently topped Rhythmic Airplay.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 29 Oct. 2025
Antetokounmpo outduels Brunson in potential East playoff preview The Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks have been two of the Eastern Conference’s heavyweights in recent years, and Tuesday’s clash showed why they could be set for a playoff meeting later in the season.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
Muhammad Ali Three-time world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali will be featured on a set of stamps in 2026.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2025
Last month Cameroonian elections saw 92-year-old president Paul Biya reelected for an eighth term, while Ivory Coast's 83-year-year-old Alassane Ouattara won a fourth term having barred opposition heavyweights from running.
—Kate Bartlett, NPR, 3 Nov. 2025
Liverpool and Real Madrid, two heavyweights of European football, will be reunited at Anfield on Tuesday.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Unmoored by the star-power vacuum left by heavyweights Ego Nwodim and Heidi Gardner, the cast is clearly straining to find its footing in these early episodes.
—Charu Sinha, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2025
This stamp features a 1974 Associated Press photo of the three-time world heavyweight boxing champion and activist, which was designed by Antonio Alcalá.
—Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Featuring Brandy, Toni Braxton, Jojo, Mario, Tank and Ne-Yo, the Folded Homage EP finds six ‘90s and ‘00s R&B heavyweights reimagining Kehlani’s hit, which recently topped Rhythmic Airplay.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 29 Oct. 2025
Antetokounmpo outduels Brunson in potential East playoff preview The Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks have been two of the Eastern Conference’s heavyweights in recent years, and Tuesday’s clash showed why they could be set for a playoff meeting later in the season.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
Muhammad Ali Three-time world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali will be featured on a set of stamps in 2026.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heavyweight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavyweight. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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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