1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

heft 1 of 2

noun

ˈheft How to pronounce heft (audio)
Definition of heftnext
1
as in weight
the amount that something weighs some synthetic fabrics are nice and warm, but I prefer wool because it has more heft

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in influence
the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly as a former senator, he still had some heft in political circles

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in bulk
archaic the main or greater part of something as distinguished from its subordinate parts the heft of the wainwright's business had been the building of hay wagons

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

heft

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to heave
to lift with effort hefted his growing son onto his shoulders

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to lift
to move from a lower to a higher place or position heft your baggy gym shorts a little higher—you're showing us more than we care to see

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 heft
Noun
The United States cannot cut a country of China’s economic heft out of the global financial system without doing major economic damage to itself. — Gloria Xiong, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 The fabric’s structure adds a bit of heft to the otherwise sweater-like sport coat, which has been left unstructured, unlined, and unpadded for maximum comfort and softness. — Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 3 Aug. 2026
Verb
The judge also hefted an additional $250 fine to one person’s charge for taking rocks. — Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 12 Mar. 2026 Early the next morning, in the dark, prosecutors say, he was spotted on camera hefting a large, heavy object into his car trunk. — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for heft
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heft
  1. weight
  2. influence
  3. bulk
  4. heave
  5. lift
  6. sway
  7. body
  8. hoist
Noun
  • By combining aluminum’s low weight with a pre-applied coating, the company is targeting a way to make battery components easier to manufacture while meeting durability and insulation requirements.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Bored with his beautiful wife and the weight of his lies, Edward longs for a way out, even as Richard continues to pine for Beatrice.
    — Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of weight
Noun
  • The audience is therefore not just a number sitting underneath a creator’s profile, but part of the influence itself.
    — Sergi Cerrato, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Crane and senior adviser Jeff Bagwell still wield considerable influence in baseball operations matters, a setup that all prospective candidates must already understand.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of influence
Noun
  • Note the sequel to this Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman 1990s property is stateside driven, so expect a bulk of the gross to come from there.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 13 Sep. 2026
  • Costco generates a bulk of its operating income from membership fees, and this consistent revenue stream is reliable in a sector that has struggled given the cost pressures consumers are facing from inflation.
    — Paulina Likos, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of bulk
Verb
  • One snap later, Allen heaved an end-zone strike to Moore, who almost caught the ball despite cornerback Kamari Lassiter’s interference.
    — Tim Graham, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • With nine seconds to play, Underwood dropped back to pass, scrambled and heaved a last-ditch pass that sailed out of bounds.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of heave
Verb
  • But the sour mood that numerous surveys and polls have found about the state of the city does not appear to have magically lifted.
    — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • And votes from Democrats, who are likely to balk at any major cuts to spending programs frequently targeted by Republicans, would be required to lift debt ceiling legislation over the 60-vote filibuster threshold in the Senate.
    — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of lift
Noun
  • Defense officials, meanwhile, fret that a party seen as favorable to the Kremlin could have greater sway in a country that is fast rearming and is the largest single donor to Ukraine.
    — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The 74-year-old singer-songwriter is in visibly great shape, keeping up with the agility of his dancer-musician companions at every step, every sway and every sudden crouch.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of sway
Noun
  • Again, while many dip to their left before throwing a hook to the body, the American stands tall and finds the angle with his long reach.
    — Chris McKenna, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • In 1968, patrolman Ed Pospisil of Fire Patrol 3 led the effort to locate the bodies of 12 FDNY firefighters killed in a raging East 23rd Street fire the year before.
    — Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of body
Verb
  • Originally intended for Florence Cathedral’s roof, the statue proved too heavy to hoist and too magnificent to place so high.
    — Alicja Zelazko, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Peter Zumthor’s design hoists a serpentine platform atop pavilions that read like stout, truncated legs, making the edifice almost creaturely in its architectural stance.
    — George Baker, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of hoist

Browse Nearby Words

heels
heft
hefted
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Heft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heft. Accessed 19 Sep. 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 aggrandize

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
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
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All