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
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
Last month South Korea business heavyweights including Korean Air and Hyundai unveiled multibillion-dollar deals in the United States following the summit between the two countries’ leaders.
—
Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Another fantastic matchup between AFC heavyweights ended in thrilling fashion on Sunday night, as Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Baltimore Ravens, 41-40, thanks to a walk-off field goal.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Mythical has publicly disclosed profitability and has been reported around $40 million in annual revenue in recent years—small versus Hollywood studios, but heavyweight for a digital-first shop.
—Jason Davis, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Breckin Meyer and Mark-Paul Gosselaar led the legal comedy alongside several TV heavyweights.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025
And this is a classic 'High Noon' toe-to-toe showdown-at-the-corral heavyweight fight.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
From groundbreaking advances in AI and robotics to ambitious new products from industry heavyweights like Dyson, Lenovo, and Samsung, this year’s show was packed with tech that feels both exciting and forward-looking.
—Pcmag Staff, PC Magazine, 5 Sep. 2025
But for cord-cutters who’ve been holding on to cable or a digital live-TV bundle such as YouTube TV, and don’t mind watching a few hours later, the arrival of these two ratings heavyweights offers one more incentive to drop the pay-TV bundle.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
Williamsburg’s transformation into a retail heavyweight drawing both wealthy locals and Roosevelt Field regulars is, per the Real Deal, also being reflected in asking rents and the kinds of brands moving in.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 4 Sep. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Another fantastic matchup between AFC heavyweights ended in thrilling fashion on Sunday night, as Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Baltimore Ravens, 41-40, thanks to a walk-off field goal.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Mythical has publicly disclosed profitability and has been reported around $40 million in annual revenue in recent years—small versus Hollywood studios, but heavyweight for a digital-first shop.
—Jason Davis, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Breckin Meyer and Mark-Paul Gosselaar led the legal comedy alongside several TV heavyweights.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025
And this is a classic 'High Noon' toe-to-toe showdown-at-the-corral heavyweight fight.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
From groundbreaking advances in AI and robotics to ambitious new products from industry heavyweights like Dyson, Lenovo, and Samsung, this year’s show was packed with tech that feels both exciting and forward-looking.
—Pcmag Staff, PC Magazine, 5 Sep. 2025
But for cord-cutters who’ve been holding on to cable or a digital live-TV bundle such as YouTube TV, and don’t mind watching a few hours later, the arrival of these two ratings heavyweights offers one more incentive to drop the pay-TV bundle.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
Williamsburg’s transformation into a retail heavyweight drawing both wealthy locals and Roosevelt Field regulars is, per the Real Deal, also being reflected in asking rents and the kinds of brands moving in.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heavyweight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavyweight. Accessed 16 Sep. 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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