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
Comcast is one of the other media industry heavyweights that is evaluating WBD’s assets, given Warner’s openness to a deal, two people with knowledge of the matter said.
—
Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025
Brighton & Hove Albion need big performances from their best players to continue an outstanding record against some of the Premier League heavyweights.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Those fears contrasted with strong results earlier in the week from Wall Street heavyweights like JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, and Bank of America.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
Big banks often trade lower after reporting earnings, though the Wall Street heavyweights were mostly boosted in recent days by their results.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2025
Chavarria’s shows have become must-see events on the calendar, drawing industry heavyweights.
—Ritu Upadhyay, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
Castiglia counts such blues heavyweights as Junior Wells and Pinetop Perkins among his many past employers.
—George Varga, Boston Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
The Nomadland and Eternals filmmaker was introduced by Hollywood heavyweight Steven Spielberg — a co-producer on the movie through Amblin Entertainment — ahead of the screening at London’s Royal Festival Hall on Saturday.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2025
The Voice Of Hind Rajab isn’t a starry project, but Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Alfonso Cuaron and Jonathan Glazer are among heavyweights to get behind the feature as executive producers.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025
Brighton & Hove Albion need big performances from their best players to continue an outstanding record against some of the Premier League heavyweights.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Those fears contrasted with strong results earlier in the week from Wall Street heavyweights like JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, and Bank of America.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
Big banks often trade lower after reporting earnings, though the Wall Street heavyweights were mostly boosted in recent days by their results.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2025
Chavarria’s shows have become must-see events on the calendar, drawing industry heavyweights.
—Ritu Upadhyay, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
Castiglia counts such blues heavyweights as Junior Wells and Pinetop Perkins among his many past employers.
—George Varga, Boston Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
The Nomadland and Eternals filmmaker was introduced by Hollywood heavyweight Steven Spielberg — a co-producer on the movie through Amblin Entertainment — ahead of the screening at London’s Royal Festival Hall on Saturday.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2025
The Voice Of Hind Rajab isn’t a starry project, but Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Alfonso Cuaron and Jonathan Glazer are among heavyweights to get behind the feature as executive producers.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heavyweight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavyweight. Accessed 25 Oct. 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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