heavy
15 ENTRIES FOUND:
heavier;
heaviest
heavier;
heaviest
Britannica Dictionary definition of HEAVY
1
a
:
having great weight
:
difficult to lift or move
—
opposite light
-
“Is that box too heavy for you to lift?” “No, it's not very heavy.”
-
a heavy suitcase
-
heavy pots and pans
-
The truck was carrying a heavy load.
b
:
large in size and weight
-
The man was six feet tall with a heavy build.
-
a tall, heavy [=(less politely) fat] man
2
:
having a particular weight
-
How heavy is it? [=how much does it weigh?]
3
a
:
greater in amount or degree than usual
-
Turnout for the election is expected to be heavy.
-
We got caught in heavy traffic.
b
:
strong
-
heavy perfume
-
heavy winds
c
:
great in amount
-
Heavy rains caused flooding in the area.
-
heavy bleeding/sweating
-
She was wearing sunglasses and heavy makeup.
-
The storm caused heavy damage to the building.
-
The company is facing heavy losses this quarter.
-
We suffered heavy casualties. [=many deaths or injuries]
-
a day of heavy fighting
d
:
difficult to accept or bear
:
harsh or severe
-
They are paying a heavy price for their mistakes.
-
It is a heavy burden for one person to bear.
-
The stress has taken a heavy toll on his health.
-
heavy fines/penalties
e
:
great in degree or effect
—
opposite light
-
He came under heavy attack/fire for his comments.
-
She is the heavy favorite to win.
-
the country's heavy reliance on oil
-
(chiefly Brit) He caught a heavy cold.
4
:
involving a lot of physical effort
— sometimes used figuratively
—
opposite light
-
an hour of heavy exercise/exertion
-
Why do I have to do all the heavy work?
-
I hurt my back and couldn't do any heavy lifting.
-
He does all the heavy lifting [=difficult work] while his partner gets the recognition.
5
:
very loud or forceful
— often used figuratively
—
opposite light
-
The song has a heavy beat.
-
There was a heavy knock at the door.
-
heavy footsteps
-
He delivered a heavy blow to his opponent.
-
The new government was dealt a heavy blow.
6
:
important and serious
—
opposite light
-
We were having a heavy conversation about our son's future.
-
This is pretty heavy stuff.
-
doing some heavy reading/thinking
-
a heavy thinker
7
:
difficult to move or lift up because of tiredness
-
My legs became heavier with every step.
-
Her eyelids grew heavy.
8
:
dense and thick
:
having a lot of hair, trees, etc., in a small area
—
opposite light
-
He has a heavy beard.
-
The animals have shed their heavy winter coats.
-
areas of forest and heavy brush
-
heavy fog/smoke
-
heavy clay soil
9
:
made of thick material
-
a heavy winter coat
-
heavy blankets
10
:
having too much heat, moisture, etc., and not enough fresh air
-
The air was heavy and still.
-
The air in the room was heavy with smoke.
-
the heavy odor of wet dogs
11
a
:
showing signs of rain or snow
-
sailing in heavy weather
-
a heavy sky
-
heavy clouds
b
:
having large waves
12
:
deep and loud
-
She let out a heavy sigh.
-
the heavy breathing of a tired runner
◊ The phrase heavy breathing is sometimes used in a joking way to refer to sexual activity.
-
a night of heavy breathing
13
a
:
eating, drinking, or using large amounts of something
-
a heavy eater/drinker/smoker
-
a cook who has a heavy hand with the salt [=who uses too much salt]
b
:
done often and in large amounts
—
opposite light
-
heavy alcohol consumption
-
Years of heavy smoking had destroyed her lungs.
14
a
:
very rich, dense, or thick
-
fruit in heavy syrup
-
The bread was a little heavy.
b
:
making your stomach feel full
—
opposite light
-
heavy desserts
-
a heavy breakfast of pancakes and sausage
15
a
:
large and powerful
-
heavy machinery/equipment
-
the army's tanks and heavy artillery
-
He flew heavy bombers in World War II.
b
of a group of soldiers
:
having more weapons and armor than other groups
—
opposite light
-
heavy infantry/cavalry
16
of a person's accent
:
very easy to notice
-
She spoke French/English/German with a heavy [=thick] accent.
heavy date
chiefly US, humorous
:
an important romantic date
-
He has a heavy date tonight.
heavy going
:
difficult to do or finish
-
The cold made the race heavy going for many runners.
-
The book is really heavy going at the beginning.
heavy heart
◊ If you have a heavy heart, you are sad.
-
I announced my decision to leave with a heavy heart.
heavy on
:
having or using a large amount of (something)
-
His movies are light/low on talk and heavy on action.
-
She tends to be heavy on the salt. [=she uses a lot of salt]
heavy sleeper
:
someone who does not wake up easily
heavy with
:
carrying or having a large amount of (something)
-
The trees are heavy with fruit.
-
Her comments were heavy with irony.
hot and heavy
make heavy weather of
British, informal
:
to treat (something) in a way that makes it seem more important or difficult than it really is
-
an actor who makes heavy weather of what should be a simple scene
— heaviness
noun
[noncount]
[singular]
— often used figuratively
-
the heaviness of the table
-
He felt a sudden heaviness [=a feeling of pressure] in his chest.
-
There was a heaviness [=a feeling of sadness] in his heart.
2
heavy
/ˈhɛvi/
adverb
2
heavy
/ˈhɛvi/
adverb
Britannica Dictionary definition of HEAVY
:
in a heavy way
:
heavily
-
The smoke hung/lay heavy in the air.
-
The decision weighs heavy on my mind. [=the decision is difficult and causes me to feel worried]
go heavy on
:
to use a lot of (something)
-
Go heavy on the sauce, please.
heavy on your hands
◊ If time hangs or lies heavy on your hands, it passes very slowly.
-
Time hung heavy on his hands.
3
heavy
/ˈhɛvi/
noun
plural
heavies
3
heavy
/ˈhɛvi/
noun
plural
heavies
Britannica Dictionary definition of HEAVY
[count]
1
2
US, informal
:
a person or thing that is serious, important, or powerful
:
heavyweight
-
The conference will be attended by several media heavies.
-
They have become one of the industry heavies.
