weighty

adjective

ˈwā-tē 

weightier; weightiest

1

a

: of much importance or consequence : momentous

a weighty problem

b

: solemn

2

a

: weighing a considerable amount

b

: heavy in proportion to its bulk

weighty metal

3

: powerful, telling

weighty arguments

weightily

ˈwā-tə-lē 

adverb

weightiness

ˈwā-tē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• grave
• heavy
• serious

Choose the Right Synonym for weighty

heavy, weighty, ponderous, cumbrous, cumbersome mean having great weight.

heavy implies that something has greater density or thickness than the average of its kind or class.

a heavy child for his age

weighty suggests having actual and not just relative weight.

a load of weighty boxes

ponderous implies having great weight because of size and massiveness with resulting great inertia.

ponderous elephants in a circus parade

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

Examples of weighty in a Sentence

She grabbed a weighty book off the shelf.

The film deals with some weighty issues.

Those are weighty arguments in your favor.

He was a weighty figure in the art world.

Recent Examples on the Web

With his pair of documentaries, director and musician Questlove used Stone’s life story to probe weighty questions about Black genius and how it’s embraced, exploited and neglected by the culture. —Rob Tannenbaum, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025

The longer Navi’s wheelbase stretched a full foot farther than that of the non-L ‘Gator, expanding cargo space behind the third row to a whopping 42.6 cubic feet — but also adding around 300 pounds of mass to an already weighty machine. —Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 5 June 2025

This is a weighty topic that’s too extensive for this article. —Dr. Eric George, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025

Healey announced the pause on state hiring more than a week after her budget writing department said April tax collections — one of the weightiest months of the fiscal year for state revenues — beat projections by more than $1 billion. —Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald, 14 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for weighty

• eighty
• kati
• katy
• platy
• slaty

Kids Definition

weighty

adjective

ˈwāt-ē 

weightier; weightiest

1

: having much weight : heavy

2

a

: of much importance : serious

weighty problems

b

: showing seriousness : solemn

a weighty expression on her face

3

: having the power to influence or persuade

weighty arguments

weightily

ˈwāt-ᵊl-ē 

adverb

weightiness noun