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as in influential
having power over the minds or behavior of others one of the weightiest figures in the field of pediatric medicine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective weighty differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of weighty are cumbersome, cumbrous, heavy, and ponderous. While all these words mean "having great weight," weighty suggests having actual and not just relative weight.

a load of weighty boxes

How are the words cumbrous and cumbersome related as synonyms of weighty?

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 can heavy be used instead of weighty?

In some situations, the words heavy and weighty are roughly equivalent. However, heavy implies that something has greater density or thickness than the average of its kind or class.

a heavy child for his age

When might ponderous be a better fit than weighty?

The synonyms ponderous and weighty are sometimes interchangeable, but ponderous implies having great weight because of size and massiveness with resulting great inertia.

ponderous elephants in a circus parade

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 weighty In one of his weightiest roles to date, Malek co-stars opposite Kamel El Basha, who won best actor in Venice in 2017 for his performance in Ziad Doueiri’s The Insult. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025 Something that made the season feel extra weighty. Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025 The court has a pathway to resolve the case without delving into those weighty issues, however. Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 7 Oct. 2025 In the past, Murphy’s fantastical Monster series has engendered real-world, weighty conversations. Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 7 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for weighty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weighty
Adjective
  • Blaylock was charged with felony injury to a child with serious bodily injury, court records show.
    Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
  • By the eighth inning, the Mariners were facing the serious possibility of having to win both games in Toronto to take the series.
    Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • See the sportsbook operator's terms and conditions for important details.
    Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.
    KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Red Ghost was said to be a massive, red-haired camel with a skeletal rider strapped to its back.
    Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Relying solely on Amazon’s admittedly massive reach would be both a lifeline and a painful concession.
    Mara Weinraub, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Banners hang from the eaves of many houses, a solemn reminder to mark where residents were either killed or kidnapped.
    NBC News, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Yom Kippur is the most solemn Jewish holiday, marking the end of the 10 Days of Repentance that begin with Rosh Hashanah.
    Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Elsewhere in the hotel are pieces by furniture studio Branco & Preto, founded by a group of young architects in the 1950s, and chairs by the influential Romanian-Brazilian architect Jean Gillon.
    Hannah Walhout, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2025
  • In 2010, Vought quit working for House Republicans and helped launch Heritage Action for America, an offshoot of the influential conservative think tank Heritage Foundation.
    Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • With that being said, there has been a major injury scenario leading up to the game.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Young people in Africa have been increasingly vocal, calling for major reforms amid growing unrest.
    Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Puerto Rico may face heavy rain and gusty winds from Melissa’s outer bands on Thursday, Friday and this weekend.
    Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Precipitation will fall as heavy rain for lower elevations, whereas heavy snow is expected for higher elevations.
    Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • At Roland Park, Tupac’s English teacher was a stern woman named Thomasina Porter.
    Jeff Pearlman, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The short war in Cuba gained the United States the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico; turned the nation into a Pacific power; and created beliefs that America was a stern yet benevolent country tasked by Destiny to enforce peace and bring prosperity to the world.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Weighty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weighty. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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