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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
When heavy rain occurs, there is a risk of flooding, particularly in low-lying and flood-prone regions. Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026 To avoid scratches, don’t slide heavy pots across the surface—pick them up and move them instead. Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 7 Jan. 2026
Noun
This approach offers an environmentally friendly alternative to the current textile industry’s chemical-heavy processes, which rely on polluting synthetic fibers and dyes. Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 12 Nov. 2025 There is going to be a special burgundy-heavy edition of the book. Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for heavy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heavy
Adjective
  • TeraWave aims to split its fleet into 5,280 low-orbit units and 128 high-capacity backbone satellites in medium Earth orbit, enabling both global coverage and massive data throughput.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026
  • Not that Kajumba or many of his fellow miners saw more than a trickle of the massive profits produced by those minerals.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • The Commission, the EU’s executive arm, has decided that the pace of EV sales is far too slow and has proposed a new category of small and seriously affordable cars.
    Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
  • States and cities that have loosened building constraints are already seeing slower rent growth compared to heavily regulated markets.
    J.D. Hayworth, Boston Herald, 24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Get your own bowl and enjoy all the greasy goodness for yourself.
    Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
  • The rhythm section is relentlessly greasy, calibrated on Jerry Cortez’s expert guitar work, while VW and drummer Pete Antunes are simultaneously loose and tight, the sweet spot for funk.
    Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • All night, the fog had stubbornly hidden the stars in the dark, impenetrable sky, but now the sliver of light widened little by little into a luminous band, a hazy phosphorescence that slowly spread and took over.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
  • Without a college players’ union to oversee them, sports agents operate in a hazier space when pursuing college athletes as clients.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Two-thirds of the population are living in tents, struggling to survive an extremely harsh winter.
    Sarah Ferguson, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
  • The cold temperatures will create some harsh driving conditions, especially when combined with snow.
    Terell Bailey, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • This intensive-repair mask draws on Japanese beauty traditions to help restore the hair’s cuticle and overall integrity.
    Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2026
  • Dropbox sought to remove the most tiresome and time-intensive parts of the job, instead of focusing on tools that imitate or mimic the creative process.
    Caitlin White, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Still, the Broncos’ O-line had better be prepared for a New England defense on a serious heater.
    Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2026
  • Any serious strategy to secure the Arctic, deter adversaries and protect North America runs directly through Greenland.
    Paul McCarthy, Boston Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Business leaders, of course, have their own interests and shareholders to serve, but Democrats can still protect the public interest while giving CEOs a seat at the table to reach pragmatic answers to difficult questions like these.
    Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 13 Jan. 2026
  • Activist groups say hundreds of people have been killed, though the true toll remains difficult to verify due to the internet blackout and tight state controls on information.
    Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Heavy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heavy. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.

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