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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
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 On Twin Peaks, Strong plays Jones, the right-hand woman for one of the series’ heavies. Drew MacKie, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for heavy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heavy
Adjective
  • Energy Prices The war between Israel and Iran had evoked fears of a regional conflict that results in massive civilian casualties, and disrupts the flow of energy and other trade through the region.
    Sara Braun, Fortune, 22 June 2025
  • The bill, a massive measure currently in the Senate that will extend tax cuts passed by Trump during his first term, will remove or limit tax credits for electric vehicles and home energy efficiency if passed, as well as create gradual, year-by-year cuts to wind and solar farm tax credits.
    Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 21 June 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
  • Each spritz instantly minimizes the look of greasy hair while its oil-absorbing formula leaves hair feeling just washed clean.
    Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 18 June 2025
  • Stonestreet looks like a science teacher from a bad high school movie — nerdy glasses, greasy hair, striped pullover.
    Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2025
Adjective
  • The legal basis for Trump’s continued extensions is hazy at best.
    Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 18 June 2025
  • The band’s digital residency, ABBA Voyage, even inspired her outfits on the Short n’ Sweet tour, particularly the hazy light-blue costume that Agnetha Fältskog wears.
    Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 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
  • Yet the harshest critic is often the one in the mirror.
    Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • Meta is also making major investments in geothermal technology as a less fossil fuel–intensive way to generate power.
    Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 19 June 2025
  • Apex scavengers are disproportionately affected by activities like intensive livestock production, land use changes and the wildlife trade.
    Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 June 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • To be sure, there have been positive signs that the revival was working, not least because the Tata’s were prepared to deploy serious capital and effort to back its ambitions.
    Vasuki Shastry, Forbes.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 2 Jul. 2025.

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