Word forms: comparative heavier, superlative heaviest, plural heavies
1. adjective
Something that is heavy weighs a lot.
These scissors are awfully heavy.
Gosh, that was a heavy bag!
The mud stuck to her boots, making her feet heavy and her legs tired.
heavinessuncountable noun
...a sensation of warmth and heaviness in the muscles.
Synonyms: weight, gravity, ponderousness, heftiness More Synonyms of heavy
Synonyms: sluggishness, torpor, numbness, dullness More Synonyms of heavy
Synonyms: sadness, depression, gloom, seriousness More Synonyms of heavy
Synonyms: onerousness, severity, oppressiveness, weightiness More Synonyms of heavy
2. adjective [asADJas]
You use heavy to ask or talk about how much someone or something weighs.
How heavy are you?
Protons are nearly 2000 times as heavy as electrons.
3. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
Heavy means great in amount, degree, or intensity.
Heavy fighting has been going on.
The State fails to recognize the heavy responsibility that parents take on.
He worried about her heavy drinking.
...lengthy jail sentences and heavy fines.
The traffic along Fitzjohn's Avenue was heavy.
Synonyms: intensive, severe, serious, concentrated More Synonyms of heavy
heavilyadverb [ADVERB after verb, ADVERB -ed/adjective]
It has been raining heavily all day.
...groups of riot police and heavily armed members of a special anti-robbery squad.
Synonyms: excessively, to excess, very much, a great deal More Synonyms of heavy
Synonyms: densely, closely, thickly, compactly More Synonyms of heavy
Synonyms: with difficulty, laboriously, slowly, painfully More Synonyms of heavy
heavinessuncountable noun
...the heaviness of the blood loss.
Synonyms: weight, gravity, ponderousness, heftiness More Synonyms of heavy
Synonyms: sluggishness, torpor, numbness, dullness More Synonyms of heavy
Synonyms: sadness, depression, gloom, seriousness More Synonyms of heavy
Synonyms: onerousness, severity, oppressiveness, weightiness More Synonyms of heavy
4. adjective
Someone or something that is heavy is solid in appearance or structure, or is made of a thick material.
We talk in her Belgrade flat, full of heavy old brown furniture.
He was short and heavy.
Put the sugar and water in a heavy pan and heat slowly.
...a heavy cream silk blouse.
Synonyms: solid, strong, thick, substantial More Synonyms of heavy
heavilyadverb [ADVERB -ed]
He was a big man of about forty, wide-shouldered and heavily built.
Synonyms: excessively, to excess, very much, a great deal More Synonyms of heavy
Synonyms: densely, closely, thickly, compactly More Synonyms of heavy
Synonyms: with difficulty, laboriously, slowly, painfully More Synonyms of heavy
5. graded adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A heavy substance is thick in texture.
It is advisable to mix coarse grit into heavy soil to improve drainage.
...11 million gallons of heavy crude oil.
Synonyms: viscous, thick, sticky, gooey [informal] More Synonyms of heavy
6. adjective
A heavy meal is large in amount and often difficult to digest.
He had been feeling drowsy, the effect of an unusually heavy meal.
Synonyms: substantial, large, filling, generous More Synonyms of heavy
7. adjective [verb-link ADJECTIVEwith noun]
Something that is heavy with things is full of them or loaded with them.
[literary]
The air is heavy with moisture.
She brought in a tray heavy with elegant sandwiches, scones and cakes.
8. adjective
If a person's breathing is heavy, it is very loud and deep.
Her breathing became slow and heavy.
heavilyadverb [ADVERB after verb]
She sank back on the pillow and closed her eyes, breathing heavily as if asleep.
Synonyms: excessively, to excess, very much, a great deal More Synonyms of heavy
Synonyms: densely, closely, thickly, compactly More Synonyms of heavy
Synonyms: with difficulty, laboriously, slowly, painfully More Synonyms of heavy
9. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
A heavy movement or action is done with a lot of force or pressure.
...a heavy blow on the back of the skull.
The plane made a heavy landing.
Synonyms: forceful, hard, powerful, strong More Synonyms of heavy
heavilyadverb [ADVERB after verb]
I sat down heavily on the ground beside the road.
A man stumbled heavily against the side of the car.
Synonyms: excessively, to excess, very much, a great deal More Synonyms of heavy
Synonyms: densely, closely, thickly, compactly More Synonyms of heavy
Synonyms: with difficulty, laboriously, slowly, painfully More Synonyms of heavy
Synonyms: hard, clumsily, awkwardly, weightily More Synonyms of heavy
10. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
A heavy machine or piece of military equipment is very large and very powerful.
...government militia backed by tanks and heavy artillery.
...armoured personnel carriers and other heavy vehicles.
11. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
If you describe a period of time or a schedule as heavy, you mean it involves a lot of work.
It's been a heavy day and I'm tired.
Hopefully, Max would be able to spend a few days with them, depending on his heavyschedule.
Synonyms: busy, full, hectic, tiring More Synonyms of heavy
12. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
Heavy work requires a lot of strength or energy.
The business is thriving and Philippa employs two full-timers for the heavy work.
Synonyms: hard, demanding, difficult, physical More Synonyms of heavy
13. adjective
If you say that something is heavy on another thing, you mean that it uses a lot of that thing or too much of that thing.
Tanks are heavy on fuel and destructive to roads. [+ on]
...salads heavy on carrots.
14. adjective
Air or weather that is heavy is unpleasantly still, hot, and damp.
The outside air was heavy and moist and sultry.
Synonyms: humid, close, sticky, oppressive More Synonyms of heavy
15. graded adjective
If you describe a person's face as heavy, you mean that it looks sad, tired, or unfriendly.
[literary]
16. adjective
If your heart is heavy, you are sad about something.
[literary]
Mr Maddison handed over his resignation letter with a heavy heart.
Synonyms: sorrowful, sad, gloomy, melancholy More Synonyms of heavy
17. adjective
A situation that is heavy is serious and difficult to cope with.
[informal]
I don't want any more of that heavy stuff.
Synonyms: serious, grave, solemn, difficult More Synonyms of heavy
18. countable noun
A heavy is a large strong man who is employed to protect a person or place, often by usingviolence.
[informal]
They had employed heavies to evict shop squatters from neighbouring sites.
19. to make heavy weather of something
20. a heavy hand
More Synonyms of heavy
heavy in British English
(ˈhɛvɪ)
adjectiveWord forms: heavier or heaviest
1.
of comparatively great weight
a heavy stone
2.
having a relatively high density
lead is a heavy metal
3.
great in yield, quality, or quantity
heavy rain
heavy traffic
4.
great or considerable
heavy emphasis
5.
hard to bear, accomplish, or fulfil
heavy demands
6.
sad or dejected in spirit or mood
heavy at heart
7.
coarse or broad
a heavy line
heavy features
8.
(of soil) having a high clay content; cloggy
9.
solid or fat
heavy legs
10.
(of an industry) engaged in the large-scale complex manufacture of capital goods or extraction of raw materials
Compare light2 (sense 19)
11.
serious; grave
12. military
a.
armed or equipped with large weapons, armour, etc
b.
(of guns, etc) of a large and powerful type
13.
(of a syllable) having stress or accentuation
Compare light2 (sense 24)
14.
dull and uninteresting
a heavy style
15.
prodigious
a heavy drinker
16.
(of cakes, bread, etc) insufficiently leavened
17.
deep and loud
a heavy thud
18. (of music, literature, etc)
a.
dramatic and powerful; grandiose
b.
not immediately comprehensible or appealing
19. slang
a.
unpleasant or tedious
b.
wonderful
c.
(of rock music) having a powerful beat; hard
20.
weighted; burdened
heavy with child
21.
clumsy and slow
heavy going
22.
permeating
a heavy smell
23.
cloudy or overcast, esp threatening rain
heavy skies
24.
not easily digestible
a heavy meal
25.
(of an element or compound) being or containing an isotope with greater atomic weight than that of the naturally occurring element
heavy hydrogen
heavy water
26. horse racing
(of the going on a racecourse) soft and muddy
27. slang
using, or prepared to use, violence or brutality
the heavy mob
28. heavy on
nounWord forms: pluralheavies
29.
a.
a villainous role
b.
an actor who plays such a part
30. military
a.
a large fleet unit, esp an aircraft carrier or battleship
b.
a large calibre or weighty piece of artillery
31. the heavies
32. informal
a heavyweight boxer, wrestler, etc
33. slang
a strongly built person hired to threaten violence or intimidate others
34. Scottish
strong bitter beer
adverb
35.
a.
in a heavy manner; heavily
time hangs heavy
b.
(in combination)
heavy-laden
Derived forms
heavily (ˈheavily)
adverb
heaviness (ˈheaviness)
noun
Word origin
Old English hefig; related to hebban to heave, Old High German hebīg
heavy in American English
(ˈhɛvi)
adjectiveWord forms: ˈheavier or ˈheaviest
1.
hard to lift or move because of great weight; weighty
2.
of high specific gravity; of concentrated weight for the size
3.
above the usual or defined weight
said of goods, certain animals, etc.
4.
larger, greater, or more intense than usual or normal
; specif.,
a.
falling or striking with great force or impact
a heavy blow
b.
of greater than usual quantity
a heavy vote
c.
violent and intense; rough
a heavy sea
d.
loud, deep, and resounding
heavy thunder
e.
thick, coarse, or massive
heavy features
f.
going beyond the average; to a greater than usual extent
a heavy drinker
g.
prolonged and intense
heavy applause
h.
weighed down
trees heavy with apples
5.
of great importance; serious; grave; profound
a heavy responsibility
6.
hard to endure; oppressive; burdensome; distressing
heavy taxes
7.
hard to do or manage; difficult
heavy work
8.
grievous; lamentable
heavy sorrow
9.
burdened with sorrow; depressed
a heavy heart
10.
burdened with sleep or fatigue
heavy eyelids
11.
capable of carrying a load of great weight
a heavy truck
12.
characterized by density, hardness, fullness, etc. suggestive of weight
; specif.,
a.
hard to digest
a heavy meal
b.
not leavened properly; doughy
a heavy cake
c.
remaining in the atmosphere; clinging; penetrating
a heavy odor
d.
overcast; cloudy; gloomy; lowering
a heavy sky
e.
hard to work with or travel over because of mud, sand, clay, etc.
a heavy soil
13.
tedious, dull, or strained
heavy humor
14.
clumsy; unwieldy; physically awkward
a heavy gait
15. US
steeply inclined
a heavy grade
16.
designating any large industry that uses massive machinery and produces raw or processed materials, as steel, basic to other industries
17.
designating, of, or equipped with massive or relatively heavy weapons, armor, etc.
18. Chemistry
a.
designating an isotope of greater atomic weight than the normal or most abundant isotope
b.
designating a compound containing such isotopes
19. Theatre
serious, tragic, or villainous
20. Slang
very serious or important and, often, depressing
21. Slang
excellent, important, serious, etc.
adverbWord forms: heavier or heaviest
22.
heavily
often in hyphenated compounds
heavy-laden
nounWord forms: pluralˈheavies
23.
something heavy
24. Theatre
a.
a serious, tragic, or villainous role
b.
an actor who plays such roles
25. Slang
an influential or important person
Idioms:
hang heavy
heavy with child
SYNONYMY NOTE: heavy implies relatively great density, quantity, intensity, etc. and figuratively connotesa pressing down on the mind, spirits, or senses [heavy water, heavy-hearted]; weighty suggests heaviness as an absolute rather than a relative quality and figurativelyconnotes great importance or influence [a weighty problem]: ponderous applies to something that is very heavy because of size or bulk and figurativelyconnotes a labored or dull quality [a ponderous dissertation]; massive stresses largeness and solidity rather than heaviness and connotes an impressivenessdue to great magnitude [massive structures]; cumbersome implies a heaviness and bulkiness that makes for awkward handling and, in extendeduse, connotes unwieldiness [cumbersome formalities]
OPPOSITE: light
Word origin
ME hevi < OE hefig (akin to OHG hebig) < base of hebban (see heave) + -ig (see -y3): prob. basic sense “containing something, full”
heavy in Chemical Engineering
(hɛvi)
Word forms: (plural) heavies
noun
(Chemical Engineering: Distillation)
A heavy is a component which has a higher boiling temperature in a distillation process.
The propylene oxide is further purified by removal of lights and heavies via distillation.
The flash serves as a preseparator of light from heavies.
A heavy is a component which has a higher boiling temperature in a distillation process.
light
More idioms containing
heavy
a heavy hand
make heavy weather of something
Examples of 'heavy' in a sentence
heavy
The air is heavy with their perfume.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
There was a heavy police presence outside the stadium and officers stood along a segregation area between fans.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Experts say the freeze will be followed by heavy rain and gales sweeping in by the middle of next week.
The Sun (2016)
I couldn't cope with anything glum or heavy.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In heavy soil, put 5cm of grit at the bottom of the planting hole to help with drainage.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
What was worrying was how playing the heavy was often the least effective part of his act.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
There had been a heavy police presence at the court for the hearing.
The Sun (2014)
The fruit on such growth is likely to get splashed by soil in heavy rain.
The Sun (2011)
When fresh it must have been something heavier.
Ben Macintyre JOSIAH THE GREAT: The True Story of The Man Who Would Be King (2004)
But this was followed by much heavier work.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
But a lot of the heavy lifting has been done.
The Sun (2014)
The process of entering a new territory requires hard work and heavy investment.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Yet there is no doubt that the family has paid a heavy price.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
This was a second successive heavy defeat.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
It warned investors that heavy rain would also hit production this quarter.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
All his wins have come on heavy and this is a jump in grade.
The Sun (2016)
It was too finely made for anything heavy duty.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Their music would surely capture the mood of tragedy that will hang heavy in the air.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The trouble was that a large navy in addition to a large army entailed heavy expenditures.
Grenville, J. A. S. The Collins History of the World in the 20th Century (1994)
Once again the demands made upon him by his lord were often very heavy.
Sanderson, Stephen K. Macrosociology: An Introduction to Human Societies (1995)
The problems for retailers are compounded by poor sales figures as consumers stay away from shops despite heavy discounting.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Motorists will be subjected to variable mandatory speed limits at times of particularly heavy traffic or when a lane is blocked.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
You seem like there's something heavy on your heart.
Christianity Today (2000)
He was a heavy man, overweight but strong and tough.
Charles Glass The Tribes Triumphant (2006)
Word lists with
heavy
Industrial oils
In other languages
heavy
British English: heavy /ˈhɛvɪ/ ADJECTIVE
Something that is heavy weighs a lot.
The bag is very heavy. What's in it?
American English: heavy
Arabic: ثَقِيل
Brazilian Portuguese: pesado
Chinese: 笨重地
Croatian: težak
Czech: těžký
Danish: tung
Dutch: zwaar
European Spanish: pesado
Finnish: painava
French: lourd
German: schwer
Greek: βαρύς
Italian: pesante
Japanese: 重い
Korean: 무거운
Norwegian: tung
Polish: ciężki
European Portuguese: pesado
Romanian: greu
Russian: тяжелый
Latin American Spanish: pesado
Swedish: tung
Thai: หนัก
Turkish: ağır
Ukrainian: важкий
Vietnamese: nặng
All related terms of 'heavy'
heavy mob
→ the heavy mob
heavy mud
a dense substance made of a mixture of the mineral barite and water that is thickened with polymers
heavy oil
a hydrocarbon mixture , heavier than water, distilled from coal tar
heavy on
using large quantities of
heavy-set
Someone who is heavy-set has a large solid body.
top-heavy
Something that is top-heavy is larger or heavier at the top than at the bottom , and might therefore fall over.
hang heavy
to pass tediously; drag
heavy chain
a type of polypeptide chain present in an immunoglobulin molecule
heavy cream
Heavy cream is very thick cream.
heavy crude
a type of crude oil that does not flow easily and has greater viscosity and specific density than other types of crude
heavy-duty
A heavy-duty piece of equipment is very strong and can be used a lot .
heavy earth
a white or yellowish-white poisonous heavy powder used esp as a dehydrating agent . Formula: BaO
heavy fire
You can use fire to refer to the shots fired from a gun or guns.
heavy going
a soft and muddy surface to race on
heavy-laden
carrying a heavy load
heavy metal
Heavy metal is a type of very loud rock music with a fast beat.
heavy rain
Rain is water that falls from the clouds in small drops .
heavy seas
You use seas when you are describing the sea at a particular time or in a particular area.
heavy spar
→ barite
heavy type
type that is thicker and blacker than normal type
heavy user
A user is a person or thing that uses something such as a place, facility , product, or machine.
heavy water
water that has been electrolytically decomposed to enrich it in the deuterium isotope in the form HDO or D 2 O
tail-heavy
(of an aircraft) having too much weight at the rear because of overloading or poor design
heavy bomber
a large plane capable of carrying heavy bomb loads for long distances, esp. at high altitudes
heavy cruiser
a cruiser with greater tonnage and heavier armament than a conventional cruiser
heavy element
any element heavier than helium
heavy-footed
having a heavy or clumsy tread
heavy-handed
If you say that someone's behaviour is heavy-handed , you mean that they are too forceful or too rough .
heavy-hearted
sad ; melancholy
heavy hitter
a baseball player who hits many home runs and other extra-base hits
heavy showers
A shower is a short period of rain , especially light rain.
a heavy hand
If you say that someone such as the ruler of a country treats people with a heavy hand , you are criticizing them because they are very strict and severe with them.
heavy artillery
guns and howitzers of large caliber
heavy breather
a person who breathes stertorously or with difficulty
heavy breathing
stertorous breathing or breathing done with difficulty
heavy criticism
Criticism is the action of expressing disapproval of something or someone. A criticism is a statement that expresses disapproval.
heavy downpour
A downpour is a sudden and unexpected heavy fall of rain.
heavy emphasis
Emphasis is special or extra importance that is given to an activity or to a part or aspect of something.
heavy-heartedly
in a heavy-hearted manner
heavy hydrogen
→ deuterium
heavy industry
Heavy industry is industry in which large machines are used to produce raw materials or to make large objects .
heavy machinery
You can use machinery to refer to machines in general, or machines that are used in a factory or on a farm .
heavy reliance
A person's or thing's reliance on something is the fact that they need it and often cannot live or work without it.
heavy schedule
A schedule is a plan that gives a list of events or tasks and the times at which each one should happen or be done.
heavy middleweight
a professional wrestler weighing 177–187 pounds (81–85 kg)
the heavy mob
a group of heavies or enforcers
heavy crude oil
a type of crude oil that does not flow easily and has greater viscosity and specific density than other types of crude
heavy responsibility
Your responsibilities are the duties that you have because of your job or position.
heavy with child
pregnant
make heavy weather
to roll and pitch in heavy seas
Chinese translation of 'heavy'
heavy
(ˈhɛvɪ)
adj
(in weight)[load, suitcase]重的 (zhòng de)
(= well-built)[person]壮(壯)实(實)的 (zhuàngshi de)
(= thick)[material, door etc]厚的 (hòu de)
(in amount, number etc)[responsibility, commitment]重大的 (zhòngdà de)
[casualties]大量的 (dàliàng de)
[fighting]激烈的 (jīliè de)
[traffic]拥(擁)挤(擠)的 (yōngjǐ de)
[fine, penalty, sentence]重的 (zhòng de)
[drinking, smoking, gambling]过(過)度的 (guòdù de)
[rain, snow]大的 (dà de)
[blow, fall]沉重有力的 (chénzhòng yǒulì de)
[breathing]沉重的 (chénzhòng de)
[schedule, week]繁忙的 (fánmáng de)
(= physically demanding)[work]繁重的 (fánzhòng de)
(= rich)[food, meal]难(難)消化的 (nán xiāohuà de)
(inf, = difficult)
[situation]难(難)办(辦)的 (nán bàn de)
[discussion]沉重的 (chénzhòng de)
how heavy are you/is it?你/它有多重？ (nǐ/tā yǒu duō zhòng?)
it's ten times heavier than or ten times as heavy as we estimated比我们(們)预(預)计(計)的要重10倍 (bǐ wǒmen yùjì de yào zhòng shí bèi)
a heavy drinker/smoker酒/烟(煙)鬼 (jiǔ/yānguǐ)
to make heavy weather of sth对(對)某事小题(題)大做 (duì mǒushì xiǎo tí dà zuò)
with a heavy heart (liter) 沉重的心情 (chénzhòng de xīnqíng)
tanks are very heavy on fuel坦克很耗油 (tǎnkè hěn hàoyóu)
the air was heavy with moisture (liter) 空气(氣)湿(濕)度很大 (kōngqì shīdù hěn dà)
All related terms of 'heavy'
heavy casualties
( Mil ) 伤(傷)亡惨(慘)重 shāngwáng cǎnzhòng
bloody heavy/good
( Brit : inf! ) 重/好极(極)了 zhòng/hǎo jí le
with a heavy heart
( liter ) 沉重的心情 chénzhòng de xīnqíng
a heavy drinker/smoker
酒/烟(煙)鬼 jiǔ/yānguǐ
it's too heavy to lift
它太重了根本提不动(動) tā tài zhòng le gēnběn tí bù dòng
how heavy are you/is it?
你/它有多重？ nǐ/tā yǒu duō zhòng?
I'm a light/heavy sleeper
我是个(個)睡觉(覺)警醒/沉的人 wǒ shì gè shuìjiào jǐngxǐng/chén de rén