Definition of heavynext
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as in slow
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest the study of history doesn't have to be all about dull heavy reading and the memorization of dates

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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heavy

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective heavy differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of heavy are cumbersome, cumbrous, ponderous, and weighty. While all these words 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

How are the words cumbrous and cumbersome related as synonyms of heavy?

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 could ponderous be used to replace heavy?

The meanings of ponderous and heavy largely overlap; however, ponderous implies having great weight because of size and massiveness with resulting great inertia.

ponderous elephants in a circus parade

Where would weighty be a reasonable alternative to heavy?

In some situations, the words weighty and heavy are roughly equivalent. However, weighty suggests having actual and not just relative weight.

a load of weighty boxes

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 heavy
Adjective
As Evil Dead Burn is unleashed on cinemas, the cast recently discussed the heavy toll of performing in the horror sequel. Glenn Garner, Deadline, 9 July 2026 But the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite was able to buck the downtrend as traders bet recently volatility around memory stocks didn't signal fundamental trouble. Alex Harring, CNBC, 9 July 2026
Noun
In any year, in any culture, there are no antagonists (save for Nazis) better suited as action cinema heavies; rooting against child trafficking lowlifes is moral, easy, and best of all, a completely guiltless pleasure. Andy Crump, IndieWire, 15 June 2026 The morning meal is becoming the most protein-heavy of the day in many homes, a notable change from the carb-forward cereals and pastries that once defined the American breakfast table. Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for heavy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heavy
Adjective
  • In a post on Thursday, NightmareEclipse said the defense-in-depth additions produce behavior that may allow attackers to exhaust all available space on a hard drive by writing massive amounts of data to it.
    Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 9 July 2026
  • Having two sinks was a plus, giving me and my husband our own areas, and the walk-in shower was massive.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 July 2026
Adjective
  • Still, as the game wore on to the waning moments, both teams were visibly sapped of energy and moving at a slower pace, including Haaland, who faded late in the game, was subbed out at the 105-minute mark and replaced by Jorgen Strand Larsen.
    Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 12 July 2026
  • The question is whether the stock price leaves enough room if that recovery is slower, messier, or pricier than hoped.
    Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
Adjective
  • To prevent greasy-looking roots after a day of sightseeing in the sweltering sun, a mini dry shampoo can be a game changer.
    Abbey Hudetz, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026
  • Gold Bond recently released its Refreshing Hand Creams, a collection of four lightly scented, ultra-hydrating hand creams that stave off scaly, flaky hands without leaving behind a greasy residue.
    Kelsey Legg, ABC News, 6 July 2026
Adjective
  • In fact, the iconic band of hazy light known as the galactic center should routinely be visible for a few more months across the United States – and the rest of the northern hemisphere – arcing across the night sky.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • Go for the bold, unique brews, like the Blizzard of ’67 (named after an infamous winter storm), a hazy triple IPA with orange, pineapple, and mango notes.
    Midwest Living, Midwest Living, 1 July 2026
Adjective
  • Wear rubber gloves because the cleaning ingredients are harsh, and scrub the inside of the oven door.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 11 July 2026
  • Pioneer Girl was considered too harsh about the realities of frontier life.
    Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 11 July 2026
Adjective
  • But that is labor intensive, and when a fire burns thousands of acres, the time and cost involved can be too high.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • Built for expansion Aurora was used to perform the computationally intensive quantum chemistry simulations integrated into ChemGraph, while the ALCF Inference Service provided access to open-weight language models hosted on Argonne systems.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 July 2026
Adjective
  • Top Gear's Jack Rix has actually had a gander at the Torcal, and described it as having a large grille with illuminating 3D diamonds for serious bling.
    Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 8 July 2026
  • Many countries, already facing political storms and serious fiscal problems, will struggle to meaningfully cut their welfare systems or change their spending models, said Andrew Kenningham, chief Europe economist at Capital Economics.
    David Goldman, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
Adjective
  • Her protectiveness of the island stretches back years, in part because Nantucket saved her, in a way, during a difficult time in her life.
    Wendy Naugle, USA Today, 11 July 2026
  • In the book, Hollis asks Gigi to stay after a difficult conversation about the affair.
    Max Gao, Variety, 11 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Heavy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heavy. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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