Definition of heavynext
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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

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
After a century of heavy grazing by cattle, the country was taken over by mesquite. Jack O'Connor, Outdoor Life, 23 July 2026 The access question this whole story raises is one WWE's celebrity-heavy era will keep facing. Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Noun
In a wide-ranging conversation for Entertainment Weekly's cover story on the latest entry in the horror parody franchise, Faris looked back on her time making the stunt-heavy threequel in 2003. Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 19 June 2026 In any year, in any culture, there are no antagonists (save for Nazis) better suited as action cinema heavies; rooting against child trafficking lowlifes is moral, easy, and best of all, a completely guiltless pleasure. Andy Crump, IndieWire, 15 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for heavy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heavy
Adjective
  • Multiple people were injured Thursday after a Kenmore Air floatplane made an emergency landing off the Washington coast before catching fire, prompting a massive rescue operation, authorities said.
    Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 24 July 2026
  • DeepSeek challenged the conventional wisdom that developing an advanced AI model requires massive financial investment and vast computing power, and offered competitive pricing.
    John Liu, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
Adjective
  • After the shooting, the victim’s car was seen on surveillance footage driving in slow circles as federal agents appeared to try and stop the vehicle.
    Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
  • Thus far, capital markets more broadly have been slow to respond to this threat for a variety of reasons.
    Justin Worland, Time, 18 July 2026
Adjective
  • Reviewers rave that this one doesn’t leave their skin greasy and absorbs quickly.
    Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 18 July 2026
  • Environmental factors such as nicotine from cigarette smoke, e-cigarette vapors, or greasy cooking residue can cause fabrics to yellow.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 18 July 2026
Adjective
  • Then we’re yanked into Louis’s hazy POV, from which Armand is reading another one of his apology letters.
    Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 20 July 2026
  • Under a red condition, the sky can look hazy and smoky, visibility drops and the air may smell like smoke.
    Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 19 July 2026
Adjective
  • The couple made sure the design included a basement where the kids could spend time, better insulation to handle South Dakota’s harsh weather and plenty of storage — all features their previous home lacked.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
  • Those are some of the harsh conditions that detainees in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody described experiencing in recent weeks at the Federal Detention Center, a Bureau of Prisons facility located in a concrete tower in downtown Miami.
    Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026
Adjective
  • Hope Lodge | Sutherland, Scotland Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen opened this lodge as part of his intensive, extensive investments into his adoptive home of Scotland, which he’s dubbed Wildland.
    Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 23 July 2026
  • But Kenneth Corey, who spent more than three decades at the New York City Police Department, says more intensive vetting, such as mandatory psychological evaluations, is becoming more common.
    Meg Anderson, NPR, 23 July 2026
Adjective
  • The claim and counterclaim are among serious allegations – including of smear campaigns and embezzlement – aired in multiple court cases now swirling around the production of the Australian musical comedy.
    Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
  • Deputies followed behind and reported no serious injuries related to the rolling sedan.
    Dennis Romero, NBC news, 22 July 2026
Adjective
  • Unlike dogs, they cannot simply be taken on longer walks, often resist dietary changes, and can be difficult to medicate consistently, making GLP-1 therapies potentially attractive if clinical trials prove successful.
    Elsa Ohlen,Carolin Roth, CNBC, 18 July 2026
  • Their stories recount the devastation to homes and businesses, life in temporary shelters, and the difficult process of rebuilding or relocating.
    Michelle Oliva-Espinosa, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Heavy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heavy. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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