WEIGHTY Synonyms: 220 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'weighty' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of weighty are cumbersome , cumbrous , heavy , and ponderous . While all these words mean "having great weight," weighty suggests having actual and not just relative weight. // a load of weighty boxes

Q: How are the words 'cumbrous' and 'cumbersome' related as synonyms of 'weighty'?

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

Q: When can 'heavy' be used instead of 'weighty'?

In some situations, the words heavy and weighty are roughly equivalent. However, heavy implies that something has greater density or thickness than the average of its kind or class. // a heavy child for his age

Q: When might 'ponderous' be a better fit than 'weighty'?

The synonyms ponderous and weighty are sometimes interchangeable, but ponderous implies having great weight because of size and massiveness with resulting great inertia. // ponderous elephants in a circus parade

weighty

adjective

ˈwā-tē

Definition of weighty next

as in serious

having a matter of importance as its topic interrupted a weighty discussion with a silly question

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in important

having great meaning or lasting effect choosing a college is a weighty decision

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in massive

having great weight lifted the weighty sack and wondered what was in it

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as in solemn

not joking or playful in mood or manner the police office looked at me with a rather weighty expression

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as in influential

having power over the minds or behavior of others one of the weightiest figures in the field of pediatric medicine

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective weighty differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of weighty are cumbersome, cumbrous, heavy, and ponderous. While all these words mean "having great weight," weighty suggests having actual and not just relative weight.

a load of weighty boxes

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

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 can heavy be used instead of weighty?

In some situations, the words heavy and weighty are roughly equivalent. However, heavy implies that something has greater density or thickness than the average of its kind or class.

a heavy child for his age

When might ponderous be a better fit than weighty?

The synonyms ponderous and weighty are sometimes interchangeable, but ponderous implies having great weight because of size and massiveness with resulting great inertia.

ponderous elephants in a circus parade

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 weighty The development of computers and eventually, artificial intelligence, has given a massive push to language translation, taking it out of the hands of specialists or weighty books and into our phones. —

Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 23 Jan. 2025 Such a feat was a monumental victory, given The Last Showgirl's smaller profile (Roadside Attractions isn't the industry's weightiest distributor) and the SAG nominating committee's wide-spanning pool of balloters hailing from all corners (and demographics) of the acting sector. —

Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 22 Jan. 2025 The use of diecast throughout means the figure is suitably weighty and strong enough to handle its wide-range of articulated motion. —

Ollie Barder, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025 Since its beginnings in 1884, Breitling has built a weighty legacy of timekeepers crafted for the skies. —

Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 8 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for weighty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for weighty

Adjective

Monday's crash is the fifth serious aviation incident since late January, including the crash at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport near Washington, D.C., between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger plane that left 67 dead.

— Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 18 Feb. 2025
For years, though, the independent federal agency took serious enforcement actions, which were spurred by consumer complaints and investigative reports.

— Susan Tompor, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2025