heavy

- definition

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Thesaurus

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adjective

/ˈhevi/

adjective	heavy
comparative	heavier
superlative	heaviest

1
a heavy object weighs a lot
She was struggling with a heavy suitcase.
Careful – that box is pretty heavy.
You should soon be able to train with the heavier weights.
a big heavy door
too heavy:
He was a big man, too heavy for the nurses to lift.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
1. a.
  used when talking about how much someone or something weighs
  The bag was heavier than I’d expected.
  how heavy?:
  How heavy is the box?
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
2. b.
  heavy clothes, shoes, or materials are thick and strong
  a heavy black overcoat
  heavy silk curtains
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
3. c.
  heavy machines, vehicles, or weapons are large and powerful
  Do not operate any heavy machinery while taking these medicines.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
2
used for saying that there is a lot of something
Traffic is particularly heavy on the M5 tonight.
He had a very heavy workload.
The school places a heavy emphasis on children’s musical development.
heavy rain/snow:
Weather conditions were appalling, with heavy rain and strong winds.
heavy reliance on:
Her book shows a heavy reliance on the work of Dr Winston.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
1. a.
  used for saying that something involves a lot of people, things, or money
  heavy casualties:
  The conflict caused heavy casualties on both sides.
  heavy losses:
  The company’s heavy losses will lead to many redundancies.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
2. b.
  informal using or containing a lot of something
  heavy on:
  The main course was a bit heavy on the garlic.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
3. c.
  mainly literary containing a lot of something
  heavy with:
  Her voice was heavy with sarcasm.
  The air was heavy with all the scents of summer.
  The trees were heavy with blossom.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
3
very severe
She’s paid a heavy price for her stupidity.
heavy cold:
He’s got a heavy cold and is feeling terrible.
heavy load/burden/responsibility etc:
Her sadness was a heavy burden for him to bear.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
4
using a lot of bombs, guns, or other weapons
Industrial areas came under heavy bombardment.
reports of heavy air strikes on the capital
heavy fighting:
Heavy fighting erupted yesterday.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
1. a.
  a heavy blow is done with a lot of physical force
  He received a heavy blow to the head.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
2. b.
  involving a strong force, especially in a downwards direction
  heavy fall:
  Her father’s had a heavy fall.
  heavy footsteps/tread:
  She could hear Bill’s heavy footsteps upstairs.
  heavy sigh:
  His mother gave a heavy sigh of disapproval.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
5
involving a lot of physical effort
They did most of the heavy work in the morning.
The steering on this car is much heavier than on the other one.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
6
informal serious and difficult
I found his new book a bit heavy.
Her speech was heavy stuff, with references to philosophy and psychology.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
1. a.
  a heavy situation or relationship is serious and often not enjoyable
  She felt their relationship was getting too heavy.
  I don’t want any heavy stuff (=anything serious or complicated).
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
2. b.
  informal serious and threatening
  Things were getting a bit heavy, so I scarpered!
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
7
a heavy silence is not comfortable because there is a feeling of anger between people
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
8
used about things that look ugly because they are big
heavy features (=large mouth, eyes, and nose):
He was a tall dark man, with heavy features.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
1. a.
  used about a way of moving that is slow and not graceful
  He broke into a heavy loping run.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
9
a heavy smell is sweet and strong
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
10
if the air is heavy, it is warm in a sticky unpleasant way, especially before rain or a storm
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
11
mainly literary if the sky is heavy, or the clouds are heavy, the sky is dark and it looks as though it will rain
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
12
mainly literary a heavy sea is rough with big waves
The ship went down in heavy seas off the coast of Norway.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
13
food that is heavy is rather solid and not enjoyable
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
1. a.
  a heavy meal is a little too large and you seem to feel it in your stomach for a long time after you have eaten it
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
14
ground that is heavy is wet and muddy, so that it is difficult to walk or travel over it
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
1. a.
  heavy soil sticks together and is difficult to dig
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
15
if a part of your body feels heavy, it is not comfortable and you cannot move it easily
His legs felt heavy as concrete.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
1. a.
  if your eyes look heavy, they have a sad or tired expression
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
16
mainly literary if your heart is heavy, you feel sad
He went away with a heavy heart.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
17
a heavy noise is deep and low
There was a heavy thud as his body hit the floor.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy

phrases

heavy with child
an old way of saying that a woman is pregnant and her baby will be born soon
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
heavy going
something that is heavy going is difficult to achieve or understand
It was heavy going keeping him interested.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
heavy smoker/drinker
someone who smokes a lot, or who drinks a lot of alcohol
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy
make heavy weather of something
to make a situation or job more difficult than it really is
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of heavy

derived word

heaviness

/ˈhevinəs/ noun [uncountable]

This is the British English definition of heavy. View American English definition of heavy.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to American English.

vocal fry

a speech habit in which a speaker lowers their voice at the end of a sentence

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phrases

heavy with child

heavy going

heavy smoker/drinker