ponderous

adjective

pon·der·ous | \ ˈpän-d(ə-)rəs

Definition of ponderous

1 : of very great weight

2 : unwieldy or clumsy because of weight and size

3 : oppressively or unpleasantly dull : lifeless ponderous prose

Other Words from ponderous Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym The Serious History of Ponderous More Example Sentences Learn More about ponderous

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Choose the Right Synonym for ponderous

heavy, weighty, ponderous, cumbrous, cumbersome mean having great weight. heavy implies that something has greater density or thickness than the average of its kind or class. a heavy child for his age weighty suggests having actual and not just relative weight. a load of weighty boxes ponderous implies having great weight because of size and massiveness with resulting great inertia. ponderous elephants in a circus parade cumbrous and cumbersome imply heaviness and bulkiness that make for difficulty in grasping, moving, carrying, or manipulating. wrestled with the cumbrous furniture early cameras were cumbersome and inconvenient

The Serious History of Ponderous

Ponderous is ultimately from the Latin word for "weight," namely, "pondus" (which also gave us "ponder" and "preponderance" and is related to "pound"). We adopted "ponderous" with the literal sense "heavy" from Anglo-French ponderus in the 15th century, and early on we appended a figurative sense of "weighty," that is, "serious" or "important." But we stopped using the "serious" sense of "ponderous" around 200 years ago - perhaps because in the meantime we'd imposed on it a different figurative sense of "dull and lifeless," which we still use today.

Examples of ponderous in a Sentence

students struggling to stay awake during a ponderous lecture fell asleep during the ponderous speech

Recent Examples on the Web

Yannick Bolasie eventually got a shot away for the ponderous visitors that Lukasz Fabianski held, before Michael Keane nodded a Wayne Rooney free kick over the bar. — SI.com, "Swansea 1-1 Everton: Swans Boost Survival Hopes in Pulsating Draw Against Toffees," 14 Apr. 2018 His Mozart, Haydn and Bach, for example, sound a bit ponderous by today’s standards. — Allan Kozinn, WSJ, "‘George Szell: The Complete Columbia Album Collection’ Review: A Maestro’s Time in Cleveland Still Shines," 22 Aug. 2018 The on-rails tutorial missions were a bit of a slog, and the game’s ponderous movement felt needlessly plodding compared to the quick, tight controls of other 2018 games. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "Ars Technica’s best games of 2018," 24 Dec. 2018 Those who had the pleasure of wallowing through turns in previous Wranglers may wonder how a loud, rough-riding and ponderous machine wins three Mudfest awards. — Tom Voelk, New York Times, "26 Vehicles Played in the Mud. Here’s the Dirt.," 12 July 2018 For all its ponderous officialdom, the Pentagon also has an especially clear chain of command. — The Economist, "Administrative bipolar disorderOne arm of the Trump administration thinks climate change is a security threat," 22 Feb. 2018 But Giroud, at 31, is increasingly looking like the odd man out, the ponderous weak link when France is surging forward at speed, unable to keep up with Mbappe's inventiveness and his Usain Bolt-like runs. — John Leicester, chicagotribune.com, "With World Cup title, France could launch a dynasty," 10 July 2018 Despite an ensemble cast that ranks among the best on TV playing characters who are usually colorful and quirky and fun, the ponderous repetitiveness of what the series does with them is all-too-frequently mechanical. — Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Billions' Season 3: TV Review," 24 Mar. 2018 The ponderous choice to cleave the overstuffed Scorpion into Sides A and B results in two uneven suites of songs. — Andy Hutchins, Time, "Scorpion Finds Drake Struggling to Keep It All Together," 29 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ponderous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.