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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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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 Ownership’s choice to have Brzezinski oversee these weighty dilemmas in the aftermath of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s firing was not random. —

Alec Lewis, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026 Others are weightier, like who will win specific political races and whether or not the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates. —

Justin Papp, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2026 Many of the questions from the other, more opinionated media outlets were weighty and worthwhile. —

Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026 With four-way stretch and a weighty drape, it’s designed to feel like peach fuzz and stay in place with its wide waistband that’s ribbed on the inside. —

Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for weighty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for weighty

Adjective

The most serious mid-air collision involving the plane happened in 1966, when a B-52 bomber carrying nuclear bombs struck a tanker near Palomares, Spain.

— Kim Tong-Hyung, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Minarik warned that, absent serious cost-cutting reforms, of which TrumpRx is but a small part, healthcare is only going to become more expensive.

— Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026