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
His founding of a law firm (now known as GrayRobinson) that has become one of the state’s legal and lobbying heavyweights.
—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
Companies like UltraTech Cement and Coal India are due to report early in the week, followed by heavyweights such as Hindustan Unilever, Adani Ports, Adani Enterprises and Bajaj Finserv later.
—Ashutosh Joshi, Bloomberg, 27 Apr. 2026
In years past, heavyweights like Copenhagen’s AOC, Koks from the Faroe Islands, Reykjavík’s Dill, and Portugal’s Vistas Rui Silvestre have all danced through its doors.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026
Reporting this week are tech heavyweights Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and Apple.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
Sets from upstarts like Creepy Nuts, Pawsa, Geese and Slayyyter, along with emphatic crowds at rock heavyweights like Jack White, Turnstile and even Sombr, traded seamlessness and precision for immediacy and friction — louder, looser, more physical in ways that were best felt than watched.
—Andrea Domanick, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Executives at Oracle have already signed several deals with Silicon Valley heavyweights to bring their business closer to that objective, Ives added.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026
Ne-Yo, who has been collaborating with Nashville heavyweights like Luke Laird, Rhett Akins, and Charles Kelley of Lady A, has been slowly releasing some of the music he’s recorded in Nashville.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2026
The ceremony drew a roster of Hollywood heavyweights who have crossed paths with Murphy across his nearly 50-year career.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2026
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Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
Companies like UltraTech Cement and Coal India are due to report early in the week, followed by heavyweights such as Hindustan Unilever, Adani Ports, Adani Enterprises and Bajaj Finserv later.
—Ashutosh Joshi, Bloomberg, 27 Apr. 2026
In years past, heavyweights like Copenhagen’s AOC, Koks from the Faroe Islands, Reykjavík’s Dill, and Portugal’s Vistas Rui Silvestre have all danced through its doors.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026
Reporting this week are tech heavyweights Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and Apple.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
Sets from upstarts like Creepy Nuts, Pawsa, Geese and Slayyyter, along with emphatic crowds at rock heavyweights like Jack White, Turnstile and even Sombr, traded seamlessness and precision for immediacy and friction — louder, looser, more physical in ways that were best felt than watched.
—Andrea Domanick, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Executives at Oracle have already signed several deals with Silicon Valley heavyweights to bring their business closer to that objective, Ives added.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026
Ne-Yo, who has been collaborating with Nashville heavyweights like Luke Laird, Rhett Akins, and Charles Kelley of Lady A, has been slowly releasing some of the music he’s recorded in Nashville.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2026
The ceremony drew a roster of Hollywood heavyweights who have crossed paths with Murphy across his nearly 50-year career.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heavyweight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavyweight. Accessed 1 May. 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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