Thesaurus

ponderous

Q: How does the adjective 'ponderous' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of ponderous are cumbersome , cumbrous , heavy , and weighty . While all these words mean "having great weight," ponderous implies having great weight because of size and massiveness with resulting great inertia. // ponderous elephants in a circus parade

Q: How do 'cumbrous' and 'cumbersome' relate to one another, in the sense of 'ponderous'?

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

Q: When could 'heavy' be used to replace 'ponderous'?

The synonyms heavy and ponderous are sometimes interchangeable, but heavy implies that something has greater density or thickness than the average of its kind or class. // a heavy child for his age

Q: When is it sensible to use 'weighty' instead of 'ponderous'?

In some situations, the words weighty and ponderous are roughly equivalent. However, weighty suggests having actual and not just relative weight. // a load of weighty boxes

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Synonyms & Antonyms of ponderous

1 causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest

fell asleep during the ponderous speech

Synonyms for ponderous

Words Related to ponderous

longsome

palling

Near Antonyms for ponderous

suspenseful

Antonyms for ponderous

2 having great weight

those ponderous pachyderms more commonly known as elephants

Synonyms for ponderous

Words Related to ponderous

solid,
substantial

ultraheavy

Near Antonyms for ponderous

Antonyms for ponderous

light,
weightless

3 difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design

lugged a ponderous movie camera all over China

Synonyms for ponderous

Words Related to ponderous

Near Antonyms for ponderous

Antonyms for ponderous

handy

Frequently Asked Questions About ponderous

How does the adjective ponderous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of ponderous are cumbersome, cumbrous, heavy, and weighty. While all these words mean "having great weight," ponderous implies having great weight because of size and massiveness with resulting great inertia.

ponderous elephants in a circus parade

How do cumbrous and cumbersome relate to one another, in the sense of ponderous?

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 heavy be used to replace ponderous?

The synonyms heavy and ponderous are sometimes interchangeable, but heavy implies that something has greater density or thickness than the average of its kind or class.

a heavy child for his age

When is it sensible to use weighty instead of ponderous?

In some situations, the words weighty and ponderous are roughly equivalent. However, weighty suggests having actual and not just relative weight.

a load of weighty boxes

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