hefty

1 of 2

adjective

ˈhef-tē 

heftier; heftiest

1

: quite heavy

a hefty book

2

a

: marked by bigness, bulk, and usually strength

a hefty football player

b

: powerful, mighty

gave the door a hefty shove

c

: impressively large : substantial

hefty portions

a hefty price

heftily

ˈhef-tə-lē 

adverb

heftiness

ˈhef-tē-nəs 

noun

heftiness

2 of 2

noun

heft·​i·​ness -tēnə̇s 

plural -es

: the quality or state of being hefty

Synonyms of hefty

Adjective

• massive
• heavy

Examples of hefty in a Sentence

Adjective

He was a tall, hefty man.

Her boss gave her a hefty raise.

a hefty dose of irony

He gave the door a hefty kick.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Drivers paid a hefty price, as Kalibrate allegedly pushed gas prices up by as much as 30 ​cents a gallon in some markets — a roughly $4 billion dollar dent in Californians’ budgets. — Lindsay Owens, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026

One year ago today, the auto industry bid farewell to a hefty federal tax credit that helped bring down the cost of electric vehicles. — Willa Rubin, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026

Plus, keeping both execs would have left two hefty salaries on the books, and the new company — saddled with around $80 billion of debt — is going to have to enact massive cost cuts, and fast. — Michael Schneider, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026

According to the official league handbook, potential punishments could include a hefty points deduction, an unlimited fine, or even expulsion from the league entirely. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1863, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing hefty

• carries a hefty price tag
• hefty price tag

Rhymes for hefty

• lefty

Kids Definition

hefty

adjective

ˈhef-tē 

heftier; heftiest

: heavy entry 1 sense 1a, bulky

heftily

-tə-lē 

adverb

heftiness

-tē-nəs 

noun