hefty

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

Synonyms of hefty

• massive
• heavy

Examples of hefty in a Sentence

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

Direct lending from private funds has become one of Wall Street’s favorite moves, and the high-interest loans offer hefty returns; the private market is worth about $2 trillion, up hugely from a decade ago. — Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 10 Aug. 2026

But hefty expenses from buying up all that inventory and handling shipping and returns for retailers makes Pattern’s financials look more like a clothing or restaurant business than a hot tech company. — Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

If a winner joins the ranks of the luckiest people alive, like the two players in Texas and Florida who split a $20 million prize back in May, there will be a hefty tax bill to pay. — Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026

Tehran on Saturday upped the ante by renewing a hefty list of demands for Washington as conditions for a full reopening of Hormuz, indicating any immediate respite for oil and gas supplies may be limited. — Sara Gharaibeh, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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