heft

1 of 2

noun

ˈheft 

1

a

: weight, heaviness

needed a hammer with more heft

b

: importance, influence

… this bipartisan group may provide the needed heft to get a … bill through the Senate this session.

—Katharine Q. Seelye

2

archaic : the greater part of something : bulk

heft

2 of 2

verb

hefted; hefting; hefts

transitive verb

1

: to heave up : hoist

2

: to test the weight of by lifting

… hefting the rod … to get the feel of it …

—Consumer Reports

Synonyms of heft

Noun

• weight

Verb

• heave
• hoist

Examples of heft in a Sentence

Noun

the heft of a good hammer

some synthetic fabrics are nice and warm, but I prefer wool because it has more heft

Verb

hefted his growing son onto his shoulders

heft your baggy gym shorts a little higher—you're showing us more than we care to see

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Five out of the six businessmen are from companies based in Geneva, highlighting the heft of Switzerland’s second city that’s home to private banks, commodity traders, watchmakers and luxury goods companies. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 13 Nov. 2025

Balance the heft with texture on top, like corduroys and a shearling jacket. —Christina Holevas, Vogue, 12 Nov. 2025

Verb

Candy is dandy but trick or treat for UNICEF has heft. —NPR, 30 Oct. 2025

Here in our yards, long years of earth have been hefted by hand and heaped up on tarps. —Steven Searcy, IEEE Spectrum, 31 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

from heave, after such pairs as weave : weft

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1789, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for heft

• cleft
• deft
• left
• theft
• bereft

Kids Definition

heft

1 of 2 noun

ˈheft 

: weight entry 1 sense 1a, heaviness

heft

2 of 2 verb

1

: to heave up : lift

2

: to test the weight of by lifting