WEIGHTY Synonyms: 219 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

weighty

adjective

ˈwā-tē

Definition of weighty next

as in serious

having a matter of importance as its topic interrupted a weighty discussion with a silly question

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in important

having great meaning or lasting effect choosing a college is a weighty decision

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as in massive

having great weight lifted the weighty sack and wondered what was in it

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as in solemn

not joking or playful in mood or manner the police office looked at me with a rather weighty expression

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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

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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 But this time Etheridge had weighty things to write about. —

Gary Graff, Billboard, 26 Mar. 2026 Even less weighty decisions were sometimes inexplicable to him. —

Eric Boodman, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2026 The levity ballasts his more weighty lines about existing while Black. —

Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 24 Mar. 2026 Making Altman look even worse was that OpenAI’s rival Anthropic had refused to cut a deal with the military to give it unrestricted access to its AI, despite weighty threats from the administration that included a government seizure of its tech. —

Frank Landymore, Futurism, 18 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for weighty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for weighty

Adjective

The breadth of recent enforcement actions and license revocations makes clear that this is a serious, ongoing problem that demands immediate and sustained action.

— Tom Koutsoumpas, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
But that document raised serious questions about recent assertions made by the city in a related lawsuit.

— Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026