heavy-duty

adjective

ˈhe-vē-ˈdü-tē How to pronounce heavy-duty (audio)
Definition of heavy-dutynext
1
as in intensive
extreme in degree, power, or effect some heavy-duty lobbying on the part of the president was necessary in order to get the bill passed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in powerful
having great power or influence a group of heavy-duty politicians and other notables attended the gala

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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-duty Experts say to avoid washing darks with linty fabrics, overdoing the detergent and using the heavy-duty wash cycle, among other tips. — Jolie Kerr, Washington Post, 26 Sep. 2026 Pro runs on an Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 3 processor, which is tailored for heavy-duty productivity sessions, AI taskloads, and even some smooth gaming moments. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 25 Sep. 2026 Don’t use heavy-duty scouring pads or steel scrubbers when washing knives. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2026 To treat stubborn buildup on backsplashes, use a baking soda paste or a heavy-duty degreaser with a non-scratch scrub sponge to lift the sticky grease layer. — Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for heavy-duty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heavy-duty
  1. intensive
  2. powerful
  3. intense
  4. influential
  5. heavy
  6. significant
  7. fierce
  8. strong
Adjective
  • At research-intensive institutions, critical knowledge is often distributed across specialized offices, sponsor websites, internal guidance, prior submissions and experienced staff.
    — Mayank Kejriwal, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Removing the thermal drying stage could also make electrode manufacturing less capital- and energy-intensive.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of intensive
Adjective
  • Musk's showpiece rocket -- the biggest and most powerful ever built -- carried 26 of the latest Starlinks to join the 11,000 older models already providing internet service.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten, two of the most powerful college sports conferences, initially opposed the bill, but later voiced support after negotiations with lawmakers.
    — Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of powerful
Adjective
  • The coalition led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's Socialists announced the new measures earlier Tuesday, after four days of intense protests centered around an encampment in Puerta del Sol, Madrid's most iconic plaza.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Consequently, the resulting economic stimulus, inflationary pressure, and intense competition for capital could propel the 10 year US Treasury yield toward a high of 6% before next January.
    — , CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of intense
Adjective
  • While a handful of less-influential militias have agreed to turn over their weapons, powerful groups close to Iran rejected the prospect or set conditions for disarming that the government would be unlikely to meet.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
  • This gift is a big swing from one of the country’s most influential business leaders and philanthropists.
    — Susan Svrluga, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of influential
Adjective
  • Were tactical arrangements sufficient without symbolic signaling, police training would not need to be so heady, their demeanor so heavy.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Iran's economy, under heavy strain before the war started, has been in a freefall since the conflict began in late February.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of heavy
Adjective
  • Its compact design puts significant emphasis on accurate pointing without adding substantial mass.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Despite the hype, China’s AI sector faces some significant constraints on its growth.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of significant
Adjective
  • Economists expect Beijing to lean harder on stimulus to stabilize corporate profitability, as consolidation accelerates in sectors already facing sluggish demand, fierce competition and cutthroat price wars.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026
  • There has been fierce fighting on Yemen's Red Sea coast as government forces attempt to reverse recent Houthi advances.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of fierce
Adjective
  • Mercury in Scorpio squares Mars in Leo, making opinions stronger, reactions quicker, and certain conversations easier to escalate than intended.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Fire officials had also failed to take advantage of satellite imagery after strong winds grounded their typical eyes in the sky, aircraft.
    — Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of strong

Browse Nearby Words

heavy
heavy-duty
heavy-footed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Heavy-duty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heavy-duty. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tittle

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All