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
The bank, a heavyweight across Main Street and Wall Street finance, wants to provide every employee with AI agents, automate every behind-the-scenes process and have every client experience curated with AI concierges.
—
Hugh Son, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025
Guest stars on the series included Broadway heavyweights Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Ariana DeBose, Jane Krakowski and Aaron Tveit, among others.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
The measure—authored by State Senator Scott Wiener—follows last year’s veto of a stricter bill that was roundly opposed by Silicon Valley heavyweights and AI companies.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2025
Signatories include some heavyweights in the space, such as Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform; David McIntosh, president of Club For Growth; and Brent Gardner, chief government affairs officer at Americans for Prosperity.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 30 Sep. 2025
The Tigers blocked a field goal as time expired to put an exclamation point on a signature win against a 4A heavyweight.
—Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
This fall's live music scene is stacked full of hip-hop heavyweights and soulful R&B artists.
—Maria Leontaras, Nashville Tennessean, 26 Sep. 2025
The Die, My Love screening is just one of a host of glitzy premieres, luring Hollywood heavyweights such as Angelina Jolie (for Alice Winocour’s Couture) and Colin Farrell (for Edward Berger’s Ballad of a Small Player) to Spain’s northern coast this year.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2025
This is the seventh time in the past eight seasons, including playoff games, that these two AFC heavyweights have met.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Hugh Son, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025
Guest stars on the series included Broadway heavyweights Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Ariana DeBose, Jane Krakowski and Aaron Tveit, among others.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
The measure—authored by State Senator Scott Wiener—follows last year’s veto of a stricter bill that was roundly opposed by Silicon Valley heavyweights and AI companies.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2025
Signatories include some heavyweights in the space, such as Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform; David McIntosh, president of Club For Growth; and Brent Gardner, chief government affairs officer at Americans for Prosperity.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 30 Sep. 2025
The Tigers blocked a field goal as time expired to put an exclamation point on a signature win against a 4A heavyweight.
—Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
This fall's live music scene is stacked full of hip-hop heavyweights and soulful R&B artists.
—Maria Leontaras, Nashville Tennessean, 26 Sep. 2025
The Die, My Love screening is just one of a host of glitzy premieres, luring Hollywood heavyweights such as Angelina Jolie (for Alice Winocour’s Couture) and Colin Farrell (for Edward Berger’s Ballad of a Small Player) to Spain’s northern coast this year.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2025
This is the seventh time in the past eight seasons, including playoff games, that these two AFC heavyweights have met.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heavyweight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavyweight. Accessed 7 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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