weighty

adjective

ˈwā-tē 

weightier; weightiest

1

a

: of much importance or consequence : momentous

a weighty problem

b

: solemn

2

a

: weighing a considerable amount

b

: heavy in proportion to its bulk

weighty metal

3

: powerful, telling

weighty arguments

weightily

ˈwā-tə-lē 

adverb

weightiness

ˈwā-tē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• serious
• important

Choose the Right Synonym for weighty

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

Examples of weighty in a Sentence

She grabbed a weighty book off the shelf.

The film deals with some weighty issues.

Those are weighty arguments in your favor.

He was a weighty figure in the art world.

Recent Examples on the Web

But the varied syncopation and intense emotional registers of Orthodox worship music informed his approach to an album that balances weighty introspection with buoyant production and evocative imagery. —Hannah Giorgis Yohannes, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025

All raise fair points (okay, maybe not the guys obsessed with the Roman Empire), but, more importantly, present the player with weighty paths forward as that region of the former United States tries to rebuild. —Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 19 Oct. 2025

The show features two Michaels — Connor Antico covers the Wham era; Winberry takes on the more weighty solo stuff. —Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025

Laptops are great travel buddies, even the more weighty ones, and your monitor and RGB keyboard are built right in. —PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for weighty

• eighty
• kati
• katy
• platy
• slaty

Kids Definition

weighty

adjective

ˈwāt-ē 

weightier; weightiest

1

: having much weight : heavy

2

a

: of much importance : serious

weighty problems

b

: showing seriousness : solemn

a weighty expression on her face

3

: having the power to influence or persuade

weighty arguments

weightily

ˈwāt-ᵊl-ē 

adverb

weightiness noun