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heavy

heavy

1 8.1
Playing the villain in a play or film
  • adjective
  • /ˈhɛvi/
  • Jargon
: 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
332 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

244 1.4

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

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 Villainous

archvillain
1 8.0
villain
332 3.3
heavy
  • Jargon
1 8.1
goon
  • Offensive
115 8.1
henchman
40 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.