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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
The rescue comes as a number of southern provinces, including Guizhou, have been inundated with heavy rains since June 17, reported NBC News. David Chiu, People.com, 27 June 2025 To their surprise, the worst effects didn’t show up immediately, despite the heavy dose of smoke. Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 27 June 2025
Noun
Wingard’s sequel is a bit more abstract than its predecessor, focusing too much on strange world-building and too little on the battle between our two beloved heavies. EW.com, 8 May 2025 Harry heads back to the yard, where a group of Kevin's Czechoslovakian hired heavies are preparing for war. Matt Cabral, EW.com, 13 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for heavy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heavy
Adjective
  • Washington — Republicans plan to slash Medicaid funding to help offset the tax cuts and new spending included in President Trump's massive domestic policy bill.
    July 1, CBS News, 1 July 2025
  • Villagran Trump warns Republicans against cutting too deep As bleary senators worked through the massive GOP bill, Trump warned Republicans against going overboard on unpopular cuts.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • Juicy, tender ribs are hard to beat, and cooking them low and slow is the key to achieving that irresistible fall-off-the-bone texture and deep, savory flavor.
    Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 23 June 2025
  • And then there is a style that believes reading should mimic the obstruction and slow struggle of writing.
    Benjamin Hale June 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • The serum for greasy skin has salicylic acid; for pigmentation has niacinamide; for first signs of aging has bakuchiol, and for advanced signs of aging has retinol, at 0.3 percent.
    Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 1 July 2025
  • The wrenches are made of S2 grade steel with a grippy rubber coating meant to provide purchase for greasy hands.
    Gabriel Morgan, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • The legal basis for Trump’s continued extensions is hazy at best.
    Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 18 June 2025
  • The recent announcement of a somewhat hazy deal suggests that the administration also failed to consider who, to borrow a fashionable metaphor, holds which cards.
    The Editors, National Review, 12 June 2025
Adjective
  • Come spring, the Ranger III carries everything from outhouses and diesel fuel for the generators to construction supplies to repair whatever damage Mother Nature did to facilities over the harsh winter.
    Diana Lambdin Meyer, USA Today, 28 June 2025
  • The United States and Europe must finally sever all economic ties with Russia (e.g., nuclear partnerships) and impose harsher sanctions on Russia and secondary sanctions so that China and others face consequences for their support of the war.
    Laura Thornton, Twin Cities, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • Oftentimes, enrolling in an intensive language program qualifies someone for a student visa, depending on the requirements of that country (more on that later).
    Chloe Arrojado, AFAR Media, 27 June 2025
  • Designed to withstand intensive training, Lacoste’s abrasion-resistant piqué fabric is made with Ultra Dry moisture-wicking technology for more breathable wear.
    Lauren Alexis Fisher, Footwear News, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • Some 182 people with serious mental illness in the city jails are waiting for one of those beds, city correction officials said Thursday.
    Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 29 June 2025
  • Historians often describe Flammarion more as a popularizer than a serious scientist, but this should not diminish his accomplishments.
    Matthew Shindell, Space.com, 29 June 2025
Adjective
  • This moderately difficult, half-mile trail through the Mission Hills Open Space, is located across from Pioneer Park.
    Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 June 2025
  • Attorney Nicole Blank Becker, who represents R. Kelly, told Fox News Digital that jurors, just like anyone else, have a difficult time separating emotions from charges.
    Tracy Wright , Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Heavy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heavy. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

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