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
Later in the period, Jeannot locked up with fellow heavyweight Kurtis MacDermid but before any blows were landed, MacDermid lost his footing.
—
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 22 Dec. 2025
Governments are lobbying heavyweights Cities aren’t the only government entities employing private lobbyists in California, and their spending is just a piece of a much larger pie.
—Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 22 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, heavyweight Ross Johnston has been more than a pugilist for the Ducks, posting career highs in assists and points before the halfway mark of the campaign.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 21 Dec. 2025
The title of New York City radio heavyweight is usually won by welterweighting elsewhere in the country — this is precious commercial real estate, given to a commodity that tests well.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Japanese entertainment heavyweight Toho is stepping up its global expansion, unveiling plans Friday to establish a European headquarters while acquiring British anime distributor Anime Limited and entering into a strategic alliance with Germany’s Plaion Pictures.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 19 Dec. 2025
The Brit, 36, is one of the best British heavyweights in the sport’s history.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025
Hollywood luminaries and political heavyweights expressed their shock and sadness Sunday night after news broke that the prolific filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, had been found dead in their Los Angeles home.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 15 Dec. 2025
Bursting onto the New York scene in the late 1990s with standout mixtape performances and early appearances alongside heavyweights like Ma$e and The LOX, his talent drew cosigns and a recording contract with Violator, positioning him as a rising star.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 15 Dec. 2025
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Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 22 Dec. 2025
Governments are lobbying heavyweights Cities aren’t the only government entities employing private lobbyists in California, and their spending is just a piece of a much larger pie.
—Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 22 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, heavyweight Ross Johnston has been more than a pugilist for the Ducks, posting career highs in assists and points before the halfway mark of the campaign.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 21 Dec. 2025
The title of New York City radio heavyweight is usually won by welterweighting elsewhere in the country — this is precious commercial real estate, given to a commodity that tests well.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Japanese entertainment heavyweight Toho is stepping up its global expansion, unveiling plans Friday to establish a European headquarters while acquiring British anime distributor Anime Limited and entering into a strategic alliance with Germany’s Plaion Pictures.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 19 Dec. 2025
The Brit, 36, is one of the best British heavyweights in the sport’s history.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025
Hollywood luminaries and political heavyweights expressed their shock and sadness Sunday night after news broke that the prolific filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, had been found dead in their Los Angeles home.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 15 Dec. 2025
Bursting onto the New York scene in the late 1990s with standout mixtape performances and early appearances alongside heavyweights like Ma$e and The LOX, his talent drew cosigns and a recording contract with Violator, positioning him as a rising star.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heavyweight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavyweight. Accessed 26 Dec. 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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