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heavy

heavy

756 1.0
A thing that has a lot of weight and is hard to lift
  • adjective
  • /ˈhɛvi/
: pesado
  • She struggled to carry the heavy suitcase up the stairs.
  • a heavy load
  • heavy machinery
  • heavy equipment

Imagine that sensation that they're heavy and weighing you down.

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Examples

  • It's a long way to travel with such a heavy load.

  • We use it to transport very, very heavy pieces of machinery... up to hundreds of tons.

  • This thing is so heavy it's crazy.

  • These cars are heavy and fast.

  • Are there that many heavy objects that need moving?

  • This rope is so heavy.

  • The old floorboards creak with each heavy step.

  • Even in this remote place, the bears carry heavy loads of pollutants.

    Academic text (2012)
  • They're difficult to transport, they're heavy, they're easy to break.

  • Inside it rode a genteel old lady dressed in a shawl, a heavy veil, and an enormous sunbonnet.

    Academic text (2011)

Synonyms

massive
vsheavy
165 3.1

Very large and heavy

is the common word for having much weight, not always implying great size
thick
vsheavy
28 1.0

Having a solid wide body or wide arms and legs

focuses on weight and difficulty lifting rather than just body shape
dense
vsheavy
15 3.9

Thick so that little light can pass through

is about having a lot of weight or being hard to move, not light blocking
hefty
vsheavy
14 3.7

Being large and heavy in size or build

is the general term for having a lot of weight, not only being large
heavyset
vsheavy
11 3.5

A person with a large, solid body and wide shoulders

applies more widely to objects and people with much weight
stout
vsheavy
10 3.8

Strong and rather heavy in body or shape

emphasizes having much weight or being hard to move rather than strength
weighty
vsheavy
6 4.1

Heavy and difficult to lift

is the broad common word for having a lot of weight and being hard to lift
massy
vsheavy
1 7.5

Being large and heavy like a solid block

is the usual label for having much weight without extra size detail
superheavy
vsheavy
1 4.3

Much heavier than normal and hard to move

is the general term for having a lot of weight rather than extreme weight

Antonyms

237 1.0

Not heavy and easy to carry

Idioms

12 7.7

People feel very strong romantic or sexual feelings for each other

A strong feeling that people in a place notice and feel

heavy weather
  • Informal
1 8.3

Make a task seem harder than it is

Much heavier than it looks and hard to lift

Compounds

44 3.9

Loud rock music with distorted guitars and strong rhythms

38 3.9

Made to do hard work and last a long time

36 3.6

Hard work that needs a lot of physical effort or responsibility

heavy equipment
  • Specialized
20 3.4

Large machines like bulldozers or cranes used to move dirt and heavy materials

18 4.0

A very sad feeling because of a loss or bad news

heavy weapon
  • Specialized
18 5.2

A large gun like artillery or a heavy machine gun that soldiers move to support troops in war

heavy metal
  • Specialized
17 4.8

A dense metal that is often poisonous, like lead or mercury

heavy artillery
  • Specialized
17 5.0

Guns that fire large shells at targets far away in war

16 2.0

Thick milk with a lot of fat used to make food taste rich and smooth

heavy hitter
  • Informal
15 4.9

A person who has a lot of power and influence in a field

14 1.0

A large amount of snow falling in a short time that causes problems

Big powerful machines used for building or mining

Many guards and strict checks protect people or places

heavy water
  • Specialized
5 7.8

A kind of water with heavier hydrogen atoms used in some nuclear reactors

4 1.0

A thick piece of clothing worn to keep you warm in cold weather

A type of loud, powerful rock with strong guitar sounds, fast drums, and angry lyrics

3 6.8

A difficult task that needs a lot of effort

2 1.9

A large amount of food that makes you feel very full

2 3.7

An amount of money a person or company must pay as punishment for breaking a law

A thick cream with a lot of fat used for whipping and cooking

heavy particle
  • Specialized
1 8.4

A tiny piece of matter as heavy as or heavier than a proton that feels the strong force

1 6.0

To walk with loud, slow steps because you are clumsy

1 6.5

Weighed down by worry or responsibility

1 5.5

Carrying a large load, for example snow on branches

A lot of rain or snow that falls in a short time

heavy flak
  • Informal
1 6.5

Strong public criticism of a person or action

Being too forceful and not subtle in actions or words

1 7.2

A person who has large strong arms that are good for lifting or fighting

heavy hydrogen
  • Specialized
1 7.0

A hydrogen atom with one neutron in its centre

1 7.1

Hard to understand or slow to get through

heavy torpedo
  • Specialized
1 8.3

A large underwater weapon launched from submarines with a very powerful warhead to sink big ships

heavy swell
  • Specialized
1 5.9

Large rolling waves that make the sea rise and fall

A strong negative reaction from many people after a decision or action

Very harsh comments that make someone feel hurt

1 6.7

Arms and legs feel heavy and make moving slow and hard

heavy syllable
  • Specialized
1 8.3

A syllable with a long vowel, two vowel sounds together, or a final consonant that sounds stronger

heavy fug
  • Literature
9.5

Thick, stuffy, often smoky air in a room that makes breathing hard

heavy hitter
  • Specialized
6.0

An item that appears very often in a stream of data

heavy spar
  • Specialized
9.9

A white mineral mined to get the metal barium

8.1

Filling plain food that is not pleasant to eat and makes you feel tired

How Heavy

massive
165 3.1
weighty
6 4.1
heavy
756 1.0
moderate
310 3.3
light
27 2.1

Surface Forms

heavy positive
heavier comparative
heaviest superlative

Etymology

Heavy comes from Old English hefig, which meant 'weighty' or 'weighing a lot'. So a 'heavy' soil really 'weighs' a lot and is hard to lift.