heavy en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ˈhev.i/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
- hevʹi
- (US) audio
- (Australia) audio
- /ˈhɛv.i/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Middle English hevy, heviȝ, from Old English hefiġ, hefeġ, hæfiġ (“heavy; important, grave, severe, serious; oppressive, grievous; slow, dull”), from Proto-West Germanic *habīg (“heavy, hefty, weighty”), from Proto-Germanic *habīgaz (“heavy, hefty, weighty”), from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“to take, grasp, hold”). Equivalent to heave + -y. Related to have. Cognate with Scots hevy, havy, heavy (“heavy”), Saterland Frisian heeuwich, häwich (“violent, angry”), West Frisian hevich (“violent”), Dutch hevig (“violent, severe, intense, acute”), German Low German hevig (“violent, fierce, intense, angry”), German hebig (compare heftig (“fierce, severe, intense, violent, heavy”)), Icelandic höfugur (“heavy, weighty, important”), Latin capāx (“large, wide, roomy, spacious, capacious, capable, apt”). Compare typologically Russian объёмный (obʺjómnyj), ёмкий (jómkij) (akin to име́ть (imétʹ), взять (vzjatʹ)).
Meanings
-
(of any physical thing) Having great weight.
In other research, scientists have found that people who kept cereal out in the open were often about 20 pounds heavier than people who kept cereal behind closed doors.
2015 May 18, Angus Chen, How We Store Food At Home Could Be Linked To How Much We Eat:Can you help me carry this? It's really heavy.
Use the scales to measure how heavy it is.
Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke.[…]A silver snaffle on a heavy leather watch guard which connected the pockets of his corduroy waistcoat, together with a huge gold stirrup in his Ascot tie, sufficiently proclaimed his tastes.
1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter II, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:But now, ten years later, after his recent shipwreck, he cannot compete as a runner, though he can outthrow the slighter Phaeacians with the heaviest discus.
2002, Eva Brann, Homeric Moments, page 48:
-
(of a person, of any physical thing) Having great weight. ▸ Heavyset: overweight.
When he was a child he was rather heavy, but today he is impressively fit.
-
(of a topic) Serious, somber.
"We're still in an existential-stakes war with the Pa'anuri, and possibly with our own destructive tendencies." ' "Sorry. That was pretty heavy for someone who just woke up." "Oh, I'm fine. Waking up alive has ALWAYS meant spending the day trying not to be dead."
2020 January 8, Howard Tayler, Schlock Mercenary, archived from the original on 13 Feb 2025:
-
Not easy to bear; burdensome; oppressive.
The king himself hath a heavy reckoning to make.
1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:heavy yokes, expenses, undertakings, trials, news, etc.
The hand of the Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Samuel 5:6:Sent hither by my Husband to impart the heavy news.
1814, William Wordsworth, The Excursion:
-
(UK, dated, slang) Good.
This film is heavy.
-
(US, dated, qualifier:late 1960s) Profound.
The Moody Blues are, like, heavy.
-
(of a rate of flow) High, great.
1998, Stanley George Clayton, ""Menstruation" in Encyclopedia Britannica The ovarian response to gonadotropic hormones may be erratic at first, so that irregular or heavy bleeding sometimes occurs
-
(slang) Armed.
Come heavy, or not at all.
-
(of music) Loud, distorted, or intense.
Metal is heavier than rock.
- (of weather) Hot and humid.
-
Doing the specified activity more intensely than most other people.
He was described in the theatrical prints as the “veteran Blenkinsop”—“the useful Blenkinsop”—“that old favourite of the public, Blenkinsop”—those parts in the drama, which are called the heavy fathers, were usually assigned to this veteran, who, indeed, acted the heavy father in public, as in private life.
1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 29, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:He was a heavy sleeper, a heavy eater and a heavy smoker – certainly not an ideal husband.
This car is too heavy on gas.
-
(of the eyes) With eyelids difficult to keep open due to tiredness.
Watch for the signs of fatigue, including yawning, blinking and heavy eyes.
2021 December 14, The Road Ahead, Brisbane, page 11, column 3:
-
(of food) High in fat or protein; difficult to digest.
Cheese-stuffed sausage is too heavy to eat before exercising.
-
Of great force, power, or intensity; deep or intense.
The surf was not heavy, and there was no undertow, so we made shore easily, effecting an equally easy landing.
1918 September–November, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “The Land That Time Forgot”, in The Blue Book Magazine, Chicago, Ill.: Story-press Corp., →OCLC; republished as chapter IV, in Hugo Gernsback, editor, Amazing Stories, (please specify |part=I to III), New York, N.Y.: Experimenter Publishing, 1927, →OCLC:it was a heavy storm; a heavy slumber in bed; a heavy punch
[Rural solar plant] schemes are of little help to industry or other heavy users of electricity. Nor is solar power yet as cheap as the grid. For all that, the rapid arrival of electric light to Indian villages is long overdue. When the national grid suffers its next huge outage, as it did in July 2012 when hundreds of millions were left in the dark, look for specks of light in the villages.
2013 July 20, “Out of the gloom”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:
-
Laden with that which is weighty; encumbered; burdened; bowed down, either with an actual burden, or with grief, pain, disappointment, etc.
The heavy [sorrowing] nobles all in council were.
1614–1615, Homer, “(please specify the book number)”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., Homer’s Odysses. […], London: […] Rich[ard] Field [and William Jaggard], for Nathaniell Butter, published 1615, →OCLC; republished in The Odysseys of Homer, […], volume (please specify the book number), London: John Russell Smith, […], 1857, →OCLC:A light wife doth make a heavy husband.
c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:his eyes were heavy with sleep; she was heavy with child
Seating himselfe within a darkesome cave, / (Such places heavy Saturnists doe crave,) / Where yet the gladsome day was never seene […]
1613, William Browne, Britannia's Pastorals:
-
Slow; sluggish; inactive; or lifeless, dull, inanimate, stupid.
whilst the heavy ploughman snores
c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:a heavy, dull, degenerate mind
1700, [John] Dryden, “Cymon and Iphigenia, from Boccace”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:a heavy writer or book
a heavy gait, looks, manners, style, etc.
Neither [is] his ear heavy, that it cannot hear.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Isaiah 59:1:
-
Impeding motion; cloggy; clayey.
The next day we only made some eight miles, as the road was heavy beyond all belief. It lay through a desert region of country which was ancle-deep ^([sic]) in soda and alkali dust.
1861, E. J. Guerin, Mountain Charley, page 37:a heavy road; a heavy soil
-
Not raised or leavened.
heavy bread
- (of wines or spirits) Having much body or strength.
- (obsolete) With child; pregnant.
-
Containing one or more isotopes that are heavier than the normal one.
heavy water
- (qualifier:oil industry) Of petroleum, having high viscosity.
-
Of a market: in which the price of shares is declining.
The very low prices of brandy, and the continuance of a heavy market for such a length of time, have begun to attract buyers; […]
1819, The Scots Magazine, volumes 83-84, page 577:The oil market is heavy, each day bringing along further supplies of shares from people who have not tired of the long-continued decline in the market.
1922, The Investor's Monthly Manual: A Newspaper for Investors, page 626:
- Heavily-armed.
- (of an aircraft) Having a relatively high takeoff weight and payload.
- (of an aircraft, specifically) Having a relatively high takeoff weight and payload. ▸ Having a maximum takeoff weight exceeding 300,000 pounds, as almost all widebodies do, generating high wake turbulence.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| heavier | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| heaviest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
heavy cross to bear · heavy bread · heavy petting · heavyset · heavy rock · overheavy · super heavy · super-heavy · heavy-tailed · heavy sink · heavy mob · heavy drinking · make heavy going of · heavy-handedly · as heavy as a dead donkey · heavy-half · heavy man · superheavy · heavy infantry · heavy half · Late Heavy Bombardment · heavy breathing · heavy breather · unheavy · heavy fermion · time hangs heavy · heavy-handedness · heavy metal · top-heavy · heavy-lidded · heavy hitter · heavy-lifting · heavy swell · heavy-duty vehicle · heavy-duty · heavily · super-heavy frigate · heavy frigate · semiheavy water · heavy plough · heavy vehicle · heavy tail · heavy-headed · heavy bomber · heavy lifting · heavisome · heavy artillery · heavy-bearded · wee heavy · heavy-set · heavy client · heavy cavalry · heavy duty · heavy ion · heavy metal umlaut · heavy-water · heavyweight · heavyhearted · heavy spar · heavy heart · heavy machinery · heavy foot · heavy rail · hyperheavy · nonheavy · heavy middleweight · heavy earth · heavy oil · heavy drinker · heavy water · heavy chain · heavyeyed · heavy-browed · super-heavy water · heavy tank · heavyish · ultraheavy · heavy wet · heavy-foot · heavy-hitter · heavy-heartedness · make heavy weather · heavy mineral · heavy marching order · heavier-than-air · top-heavy fraction · heavy with child · heavy-coated · heavy-faced · heavy roller · heavy hand · heavy equipment · heavy icebreaker · heavy cruiser · heavy chemicals · hot and heavy · heavy-handed · heaviness · super heavy water · heavy as a dead donkey · make heavy weather of · heavy cream · heavy glass · heavy-hearted · semi-heavy water · heavy-heartedly · heavy-lift · heavy legs · heavy metally · heavy particle · heavy industry · heavy going · heavy goods vehicle · heavy piece · heavy-footed · jug-heavy · top-heavy with drink · heavy hydrogen · heavy date · heavy-armed · heavy element · heavy ice · heavy-footed moa · heavy wetter · heavy lift · heavy machine gun
Descendants
Relateds
Synonyms
Translations (289)
de groß (of a person: doing the specified activity more intensely than most other people) · sl težek (having great weight) · ota آغر (having great weight) · ang swǣr (having great weight) · bua хүндэ (having great weight) · nl zwaar (having great weight) · sv tung (having great weight) · tsg mabuggat (having great weight) · akk kabtātum (having great weight) · fy swier (having great weight) · sk ťažký (having great weight) · pt pesado (having great weight) · br ponner (having great weight) · mi takaroro (laden to a great extent) · de schwer (laden to a great extent) · az ciddi (serious) · rm greiv (having great weight) · la gravis (having great weight) · ba ауыр (having great weight) · ce еза (having great weight) · lb schwéier (having great weight) · be цяжкі́́ (having great weight) · fr lourd (having great weight) · enm hevy (of great force) · nb tung (having great weight) · ab ахьанҭа (having great weight) · uz vazmin (having great weight) · fi painava (serious) · de ernst (serious) · tet todan (having great weight) · msk bugat (having great weight) · sh téžak (having great weight) · mk тежок (of a person: doing the specified activity more intensely than most other people) · pap pisá (having great weight) · de drückend (of weather:hot and humid) · mg mavesatra (having great weight) · haw kaumaha (having great weight) · ja 重い (having great weight) · id berat (serious) · or ଭାରି (having great weight) · rhg bór (having great weight) · nrf b'sant (serious) · sw zito (having great weight) · amu ja (having great weight) · csb cãżczi (having great weight) · rom pharo (having great weight) · scn pisanti (having great weight) · tg вазнин (having great weight) · af swaar (having great weight) · yua aal (having great weight) · da tung (having great weight) · ur بھاری (having great weight) · bni -lito (having great weight) · ru тя́жкий (having great weight) · bcl magabat (having great weight) · ja 蒸し暑い (of weather:hot and humid) · mk обилен (of rate of flow: high) · pam mabayat (having great weight) · gl pesado (having great weight) · de stark (slang: good) · inh деза (having great weight) · ps دروند (having great weight) · tyv аар (having great weight) · chr ᎦᎨᏓ (having great weight) · rcf lour (having great weight) · fi kova (slang: good) · mk тешко (of weather:hot and humid) · km ធ្ងន់ (having great weight) · fr pesant (serious) · rm pesont (having great weight) · fr gros (of a person: doing the specified activity more intensely than most other people) · pt grave (serious) · sa गुरु (having great weight) · mk тежок (serious) · nb vektig (having great weight) · fur grivi (having great weight) · cy trwm (having great weight) · io grava (having great weight) · te బరువైన (having great weight) · as গধুৰ (having great weight) · el βαρύς (having great weight) · be ця́жкі́ (having great weight) · pms gravos (having great weight) · lo ຫນັກ (having great weight) · ms lebut (of rate of flow: high) · sga trom (having great weight) · tg гарон (having great weight) · eo peza (having great weight) · fa سنگین (having great weight) · arz تقيل (having great weight) · uk важки́й (having great weight) · de schwer (having great weight) · crh ağır (having great weight) · es pesado (having great weight) · bg силен (of rate of flow: high) · gag aar (having great weight) · ca pesant (having great weight) · it pesante (having great weight) · fo tungur (having great weight) · pl ciężki (having great weight) · id deras (of rate of flow: high) · cs těžký (having great weight) · acw ثقيل (having great weight) · mdf стака (having great weight) · yue 重 (having great weight) · so culus (having great weight) · cv йывӑр (having great weight) · rue тяжкый (having great weight) · et raske (having great weight) · ro greu (having great weight) · nap pesante (having great weight) · min barek (having great weight) · pt mormacento (of weather:hot and humid) · ja 大量の (of rate of flow: high) · lad pezgado (having great weight) · gd trom (having great weight) · nv nisdaaz (having great weight) · fi painava (having great weight) · ru тяжёлый (having great weight) · hy ծանր (having great weight) · cmn 沉重 (having great weight) · hil mabug-at (having great weight) · vi nặng (having great weight) · rm pasànt (having great weight) · wa ploncasse (having great weight) · ln zito (having great weight) · xdq декӏ (having great weight) · fr pesant (having great weight) · ms berat (having great weight) · tt авыр (having great weight) · mba mabug-at (having great weight) · za naek (having great weight) · el σοβαρός (serious) · zdj -dziro (having great weight) · ja すごい (slang: good) · bg те́жък (having great weight) · roa-tar pesande (having great weight) · ja 多量の (of rate of flow: high) · ja 素晴らしい (slang: good) · bn ভারী (having great weight) · ast pesáu (having great weight) · evn ургэ (having great weight) · om ulfaataa (having great weight) · inh еза (having great weight) · ja 激しい (of rate of flow: high) · mi tātā (of rate of flow: high) · ota وزین (having great weight) · crh avur (having great weight) · de schwer (of a person: doing the specified activity more intensely than most other people) · nn tung (having great weight) · mi makerewhatu (of great force) · lt sunkus (having great weight) · my လေးလံ (having great weight) · ko 무겁다 (having great weight) · mi pūroro (of rate of flow: high) · mfe lour (having great weight) · pdt schwoa (having great weight) · cdm लीःसा (having great weight) · ca feixuc (having great weight) · su abot (having great weight) · fr grave (serious) · pt sério (of a person: doing the specified activity more intensely than most other people) · av бакӏаб (having great weight) · pt pesado (of rate of flow: high) · rm pesant (having great weight) · akk kabtum (having great weight) · mel baat (having great weight) · aln ran (having great weight) · ang hefiġ (having great weight) · ps دروند (serious) · akl mabug-at (having great weight) · mbb meveɣat (having great weight) · ja 重装備 (slang: armed) · oc pesuc (having great weight) · cmn 重 (having great weight) · fi kova (of rate of flow: high) · gld хуйгэ (having great weight) · fi kova (of music: loud, distorted) · mi tātā (of great force) · my လေး (having great weight) · ja 重い (serious) · fa سنگین (of weather:hot and humid) · apc تقيل (having great weight) · fr lourd (serious) · mi patapataiāwhā (of rate of flow: high) · tg сангин (having great weight) · akk kabūtum (having great weight) · mr जड (having great weight) · jv abot (having great weight) · qu llasaq (having great weight) · ceb bug-at (having great weight) · he כָּבֵד (having great weight) · bo ལྗིད་པོ (having great weight) · tl mabigat (serious) · bg серио́зен (serious) · rup greu (having great weight) · tl mabigat (having great weight) · nv ndaaz (having great weight) · ajp تقيل (having great weight) · eve ургэ (having great weight) · uli cchoaw (having great weight) · mnc ᡠᠵᡝᠨ (having great weight) · ar ثَقِيل (having great weight) · mk тежок (having great weight) · dlm pesaint (having great weight) · vec pexante (having great weight) · hu nehéz (having great weight) · ga tromchúiseach (serious) · ce деза (having great weight) · ang pīs (having great weight) · bg тежък (of weather:hot and humid) · rm greav (having great weight) · de dunkel (serious) · ary تْقيل (having great weight) · ky оор (having great weight) · uz ogʻir (having great weight) · dsb śěžki (having great weight) · lo ໜັກ (having great weight) · wa pezant (having great weight) · fur pesant (having great weight) · tk agyr (having great weight) · kk ауыр (having great weight) · mww nyhav (having great weight) · zza gıran (diq) (having great weight) · mn хүнд (having great weight) · kmr giran (having great weight) · grc βαρύς (having great weight) · ro grav (serious) · fi raskas (having great weight) · hi भारा (having great weight) · fi vuolas (of rate of flow: high) · os уӕззау (having great weight) · ckb قورس (having great weight) · id berat (of a person: doing the specified activity more intensely than most other people) · id berat (having great weight) · sah ыарахан (having great weight) · mi makerewhatu (of rate of flow: high) · ka მძიმე (having great weight) · non þungr (having great weight) · ro serios (serious) · ja 深刻な (serious) · fr lourd (of weather:hot and humid) · cu тѧжькъ (having great weight) · nl serieus (serious) · sat ᱚᱡᱚᱨ (having great weight) · la gravis (serious) · ilo nadagas (having great weight) · th หนัก (having great weight) · ani гьокӏору (having great weight) · de schwül (of weather:hot and humid) · rm grev (having great weight) · ilo nadagsen (having great weight) · de mächtig (of rate of flow: high) · ga trom (having great weight) · lv smags (having great weight) · tr ağır (having great weight) · cjs аар (having great weight) · nn vektig (having great weight) · de finster (serious) · io grava (serious) · az ağır (having great weight) · pt pesado (of music: loud, distorted) · myv стака (having great weight) · as ভাৰী (having great weight) · fi vakava (serious) · nrf b'sant (having great weight) · enm hevy (serious) · ja 重大な (serious) · sip ལྕི་པོ (having great weight) · es onusto (having great weight) · sh те́жак (having great weight) · kaw bot (having great weight) · akk kabittum (having great weight) · cs těžký (serious) · ccc pwawa (having great weight) · ht lou (having great weight) · zea zwaer (having great weight) · rap pagaha'a (having great weight) · rm pasant (having great weight) · eu astun (having great weight) · be ва́жкі (having great weight) · bg натоварен (laden to a great extent) · cs těžký (of a person: doing the specified activity more intensely than most other people) · de schwer (of rate of flow: high) · is þungur (having great weight) · ja むっとした (of weather:hot and humid) · enm hevy (having great weight) · sq rëndë (having great weight) · ug ئېغىر (having great weight)