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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

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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
However, his countermeasures and pass-rush efficiency are currently undeveloped, and Georgia’s heavy defensive line rotation is a significant reason behind that. Dane Brugler, New York Times, 22 July 2025 That's despite the Trump administration's beef with the Fed and its use of heavy tariffs as a bargaining tool. Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 22 July 2025
Noun
Class struggle is reflected in the way that the back-alley heavy, Atticus Hawk, dismisses the ivory-tower eccentricity of the occult specialist Scholar Vitali. The New York Times, New York Times, 30 May 2025 Gabriel Byrne’s new heavy, the Chancellor, hisses to Castañeda’s doomed daddy as Eve watches in horror. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for heavy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heavy
Adjective
  • Until now, the most massive back hole merger was GW190521, detected in 2020.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 14 July 2025
  • Some donors continue to feel bitter about the massive amounts of money spent by Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign and the Biden/Harris aligned super PAC Future Forward.
    Max Tani, semafor.com, 14 July 2025
Adjective
  • Without automation, errors are common and reimbursement is slow.
    Duke Chung, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • Skin Conditions Dry, itchy skin, and wounds or cuts that are slow to heal can be a sign of hyperglycemia.
    Barbie Cervoni, Verywell Health, 15 July 2025
Adjective
  • An effective cleanser takes away that slick, greasy feeling, but won’t leave your skin feeling stripped of moisture.
    Jessica Kasparian, SELF, 16 July 2025
  • But the fear of getting greasy yellow butter topping on Krypto’s white felt makes this, to me, less functional as a popcorn bucket.
    Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 15 July 2025
Adjective
  • Exercisers and health experts are asking whether the benefits of outdoor exercise are negated when the skies are hazy with wildfire smoke.
    John C. Quindry, The Conversation, 10 July 2025
  • The Milky Way is our home galaxy, a vast spiral of stars, dust and cosmic wonder stretching across the sky like a hazy, glowing river.
    Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025
Adjective
  • The harsh reality is this: not all cell phone forensic extractions are created equal, and the most important evidence for trucking cases on the smartphone will be gone in days or weeks.
    Lars Daniel, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
  • Late-night talk shows across the board are facing the harsh reality that declines in ad revenue can’t make up for burgeoning production costs.
    Liam Reilly, CNN Money, 22 July 2025
Adjective
  • Critics question whether a battery swap network—capital intensive, dependent on fleet adoption, and distributed across so many different markets—can scale profitably.
    Clay Chandler, Fortune, 19 July 2025
  • An intensive moisturiser that delivers maximum hydration, Revision’s DermProtect Barrier Defense™ also replenishes natural lipids, and enhances moisture retention.
    Angela Lei, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025
Adjective
  • This surge in extreme heat drives up energy demand and poses serious health risks to vulnerable populations.
    Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 24 July 2025
  • Surgeries or procedures to prevent aneurysm rupture also carry serious risks.
    Ruth Jessen Hickman, Health, 23 July 2025
Adjective
  • Speaking with director Joe Johnston, Oka explained the two most difficult things to simulate digitally at the time were human skin and water.
    Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 15 July 2025
  • Ullmann is the daughter of the late Swedish director Ingmar Bergman and the Norwegian actor Liv Ullmann, and specifics of her childhood are not difficult to locate.
    Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 15 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Heavy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heavy. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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