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as in slow
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest the study of history doesn't have to be all about dull heavy reading and the memorization of dates

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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heavy

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noun

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective heavy differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of heavy are cumbersome, cumbrous, ponderous, and weighty. While all these words 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

How are the words cumbrous and cumbersome related as synonyms of heavy?

Both 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

When could ponderous be used to replace heavy?

The meanings of ponderous and heavy largely overlap; however, ponderous implies having great weight because of size and massiveness with resulting great inertia.

ponderous elephants in a circus parade

Where would weighty be a reasonable alternative to heavy?

In some situations, the words weighty and heavy are roughly equivalent. However, weighty suggests having actual and not just relative weight.

a load of weighty boxes

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of heavy
Adjective
Instead of splitting heavy atoms like uranium or plutonium to release energy, fusion works by fusing hydrogen atoms to form helium for energy. New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2025 The storms might also bring heavy rains, with some areas getting over an inch of rainfall. Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
As population has grown, Winans said, demand for police services has gone up all over the district, which is the most populous and crash-heavy in the state. Idaho Statesman, 13 Aug. 2025 Or heavies like Hilton Als, Helen Shaw, Brian Dillon, and Dawn Lundy Martin. Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 24 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for heavy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heavy
Adjective
  • The Environmental Protection Agency oversaw a massive cleanup effort, for one.
    Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
  • In March, a massive, violent earthquake shook Myanmar.
    Lauren Liebhaber September 5, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Parkinson’s disease primarily affects the nervous system, particularly the brain, causing tremors, stiffness, and slow movement.
    Zach LaChance, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2025
  • Alex Bowman falls three laps down after a slow pit stop.
    Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • With continued use, the lightweight, non-greasy formula helps invigorate roots, improve blood flow, and minimize shedding.
    Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 26 Aug. 2025
  • Paisley bathrobe, velvet slippers, greasy hair and smoking a pipe.
    Gene Pressman, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • This character development does not really land, however, and Mersault becomes increasingly hazy, disappearing into a cloud of abstraction in the third act.
    Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025
  • People take pictures with the Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas sign under hazy orange skies as the sun sets in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 29, 2023.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The once-beloved pastels will become harsh.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The pilgrimage, listed on the official calendar of jubilee events, comes as gay Catholics look to Pope Leo XIV to continue down the bold path of his predecessor to welcome into the church a group that has in the past faced alienation and sometimes harsh treatment.
    Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Richard Wrangham’s research shows how cooking allowed humans to access more calories, enabling the expansion of energy-intensive activities like building and creating.
    Scott Hutcheson, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
  • The goal of the vaccine is to keep people out of the hospital, keep them out of the intensive-care unit, keep them out of the morgue.
    Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Thankfully, the most recent accident was less serious, and Sabrina and their unborn child were ultimately okay.
    Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Between them, Sinner and Alcaraz have dispatched their only serious rival in three straight majors, largely making every other match at these tournaments feel almost immaterial.
    Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Auburn, of the big, bad SEC, rolls into a difficult environment at Baylor – with the entire college football world watching the primetime game – and blows a tire against a wildly underrated Big 12 team.
    Matt Hayes, The Tennessean, 30 Aug. 2025
  • Keeping the festival free each year is an increasingly difficult task, but a rewarding effort, said Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation (DJFF) president and artistic director Chris Collins.
    Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 30 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Heavy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heavy. Accessed 7 Sep. 2025.

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