adjective

heavy

HEV-ee/ˈhevi/

Having substantial weight that requires effort to support.

The man strains to lift the heavy stone block off the floor.

A man strains to lift a large solid stone block, managing to raise it only slightly from the floor.

Etymology

Old English hefig already meant “having much weight,” so the physical sense is inherited directly. That ancestor also described things felt as grave or oppressive, extending weight into figurative burdens.

In context

Factory Secrets: How It's Made20:37

Then they start unbolting the gun from the fuselage. The bolts are massive, heavy, the work is precise.

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More examples

This backpack is too heavy for me to carry.
The cast-iron pan is heavier than the aluminum one.
Put the heaviest boxes on the bottom shelf.

Forms

heavy · heavier · heaviest

heaviness noun — The quality of having substantial weight.

Similar words

hefty: Suggests considerable weight, often combined with size or bulk.
cumbersome: Emphasizes difficulty carrying or moving something because of its bulk.