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heavy

heavy

18 8.1
Playing the villain in a play or film
  • adjective
  • /ˈhɛvi/
  • Jargon
translation icon : villano
  • -Why do you always make me out to be the heavy?

Examples

  • Thank you for not making me the heavy in this, and for not making me deal with it quite yet.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • MR. TAFT: Why do you insist on playing the heavy?

  • We're real glad to have a pro like you playing the heavy on the pilot.

  • Hell, most of you thought Benghazi was the guy who played the heavy in "Roadhouse" before this attack happened.

    Blog text (4)
  • The director was pleased with how the new actor portrayed the heavy in the film.

  • In the latest play, the audience loved the way she played the heavy with such intensity.

  • Many viewers enjoy movies where the heavy has a complex backstory and motivations.

Synonyms

villain
vsheavy
272 3.3

A person who does very bad things, often the main bad character in a story

refers to the performer who plays that evil character on stage or screen
strong antagonist
vsheavy
  • Literature
5.1

A powerful character who opposes the hero and creates major conflict

refers to the performer who enacts that opposing character in a production

Antonyms

159 1.4

The main character in a play, film, or book that the audience follows

Idioms

10 7.7

People feel very strong romantic or sexual feelings for each other

A strong feeling that people in a place notice and feel

Much heavier than it looks and hard to lift

heavy weather
  • Informal
8.3

Make a task seem harder than it is

Compounds

27 3.6

Hard work that needs a lot of physical effort or responsibility

26 3.9

Loud rock music with distorted guitars and strong rhythms

23 3.9

Made to do hard work and last a long time

heavy equipment
  • Specialized
17 3.4

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

heavy weapon
  • Specialized
15 5.2

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

14 4.0

A very sad feeling because of a loss or bad news

Big powerful machines used for building or mining

heavy artillery
  • Specialized
12 5.0

Guns that fire large shells at targets far away in war

heavy hitter
  • Informal
12 4.9

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

heavy metal
  • Specialized
11 4.8

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

11 2.0

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

9 1.0

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

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

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

3 1.0

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

2 6.8

A difficult task that needs a lot of effort

1 3.7

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

1 1.9

A large amount of food that makes you feel very full

heavy flak
  • Informal
1 6.5

Strong public criticism of a person or action

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

1 7.1

Hard to understand or slow to get through

heavy hitter
  • Specialized
1 6.0

An item that appears very often in a stream of data

heavy hydrogen
  • Specialized
1 7.0

A hydrogen atom with one neutron in its centre

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

1 6.0

To walk with loud, slow steps because you are clumsy

Being too forceful and not subtle in actions or words

1 6.5

Weighed down by worry or responsibility

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

heavy fug
  • Literature
9.5

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

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

heavy swell
  • Specialized
5.9

Large rolling waves that make the sea rise and fall

heavy syllable
  • Specialized
8.3

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

heavy torpedo
  • Specialized
8.3

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

heavy particle
  • Specialized
8.4

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

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

Arms and legs feel heavy and make moving slow and hard

Very harsh comments that make someone feel hurt

Carrying a large load, for example snow on branches

How Villainous

archvillain
1 8.0
villain
272 3.3
heavy
  • Jargon
18 8.1
goon
  • Offensive
76 8.1
henchman
14 7.9

Surface Forms

heavy positive
heavier comparative
heaviest superlative

Etymology

Heavy comes from Old English hefig, which meant 'weighty' or 'powerful'. In theatre the 'heavy' is the villain because the role is serious and has strong, 'weighty' effect on the story.