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
The two heavyweights exchanged haymakers before Olivier caught Reaves with right hand and sent him to the ice.
—
Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
Her film, about an Evanston native who’s a serious athlete despite being blind, was up against some Hollywood heavyweights, including a documentary on film legend Martin Scorsese.
—Jeff Banowetz, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Hosted by ex-BBC heavyweights Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel, the daily News Agents pod is one of the most popular current affairs podcasts in the UK.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2026
Index heavyweight Samsung Electronics surged more than 7%, after co-CEO TM Roh told Reuters Monday that the company planned to double the number of its mobile devices with AI features powered by Google’s Gemini this year.
—Nur Hikmah Md Ali, CNBC, 5 Jan. 2026
Huang, a heavyweight in the AI industry, is among several executives taking the CES stage this week.
—Austin American Statesman, 5 Jan. 2026
Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, two of the coalition’s core Middle East heavyweights, have flared over their support for opposing factions in the conflict in Yemen.
—Grant Smith, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2026
Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has reportedly flown back to Britain several days after a fatal car crash that killed two of his friends in Nigeria.
—CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
As 2025 comes to a close, Addison Rae can update her resume to read pop artist, film star, TikTok heavyweight and now festival headliner.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 31 Dec. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
Her film, about an Evanston native who’s a serious athlete despite being blind, was up against some Hollywood heavyweights, including a documentary on film legend Martin Scorsese.
—Jeff Banowetz, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Hosted by ex-BBC heavyweights Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel, the daily News Agents pod is one of the most popular current affairs podcasts in the UK.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2026
Index heavyweight Samsung Electronics surged more than 7%, after co-CEO TM Roh told Reuters Monday that the company planned to double the number of its mobile devices with AI features powered by Google’s Gemini this year.
—Nur Hikmah Md Ali, CNBC, 5 Jan. 2026
Huang, a heavyweight in the AI industry, is among several executives taking the CES stage this week.
—Austin American Statesman, 5 Jan. 2026
Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, two of the coalition’s core Middle East heavyweights, have flared over their support for opposing factions in the conflict in Yemen.
—Grant Smith, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2026
Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has reportedly flown back to Britain several days after a fatal car crash that killed two of his friends in Nigeria.
—CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
As 2025 comes to a close, Addison Rae can update her resume to read pop artist, film star, TikTok heavyweight and now festival headliner.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 31 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heavyweight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavyweight. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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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