Definition of ponderousnext
1
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest fell asleep during the ponderous speech

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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

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 ponderous Group plans can align when the feelings-led Moon in your social zone opposes ponderous Jupiter in your upbeat 5th house. Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 13 Mar. 2026 There is the ponderous march of normalcy and daily life. Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026 The problem is that Congress changing fundamental statutes is a ponderous process ill suited to administering foreign policy in a dynamic global economy. Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026 Where the ponderous fire-roads invited a slow, deliberate pace to space our kidneys, the combination of hilly terrain and a slick surface demanded a more extemporaneous approach to conserving momentum. Byron Hurd, The Drive, 22 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ponderous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ponderous
Adjective
  • Sustainable growth feels boring from the inside.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
  • The point is to make the boring stuff feel like a hangout, not to build a productivity system.
    Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 26 June 2026
Adjective
  • The country also has made a massive push to switch to electric vehicles, which reduced Chinese oil consumption by 1 million barrels per day, the International Energy Agency estimates.
    David Goldman, CNN Money, 25 June 2026
  • The brand is celebrating Prime Day with massive markdowns on its latest and greatest electronics like the Apple Watch SE 3, the AirPods Pro 3, and the 2026 MacBook Air laptop.
    Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 25 June 2026
Adjective
  • This has, in many cases, led to some clumsy looking solutions at venues across North America.
    Adam Crafton, New York Times, 23 June 2026
  • An early furor over accepting valuable gifts, including designer spectacles and Taylor Swift concert tickets, was followed by a series of policy U-turns, especially clumsy attempts to cut welfare spending that stirred anger in Labour ranks.
    ABC News, ABC News, 22 June 2026
Adjective
  • What to expect over the weekend Though Friday was expected to be the slowest day of the competition, the atmosphere at Cal Expo was anything but dull.
    Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 27 June 2026
  • Some residents are calling for civilian volunteers to help clear debris, frustrated by the slow pace of the rescue operations.
    Osmary Hernández, CNN Money, 27 June 2026
Adjective
  • Smoke from a series of wildfires that have burned more than 20,000 acres across South Florida began to ease Sunday, bringing clearer skies to some communities after days of heavy haze and poor air quality.
    Steve Maugeri, CBS News, 22 June 2026
  • To get the best view of the moon, check local weather forecasts in your area to make sure there won't be heavy cloud coverage or storms.
    Julia Gomez, USA Today, 22 June 2026
Adjective
  • Your 2nd House of Finances hits an awkward angle as the nurturing Moon quincunxes ambitious Mars in your 9th House of Travel and Learning.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 23 June 2026
  • But that doesn’t mean there still aren’t some awkward moments.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 22 June 2026
Adjective
  • This method is particularly useful for larger homes, hallways, and staircases where kneeling repeatedly would quickly become cumbersome or tiring.
    Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 13 June 2026
  • The longtime Florida coach swapped a tiring McDonald for Russell Sandefer with one out in the top of the sixth inning.
    Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 June 2026
Adjective
  • And though there are no tariffs imposed on British goods entering the EU, there is a raft of non-tariff barriers, such as cumbersome customs paperwork, border certifications, and visa restrictions.
    ABC News, ABC News, 21 June 2026
  • With a Brush Head Heavy electric vacuums can be extremely cumbersome to use on furniture, and their handy attachments often don’t cover enough fabric at a time.
    Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 18 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Ponderous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ponderous. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.

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