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
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
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Recent Examples of heavy
Adjective
To scale up capacity, operators simply add more cells to the stack, and no need to redesign heavy mechanical housings.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Aug. 2026 These systems must be compact, power-efficient, software-defined and capable of operating in a radiation-heavy environment.—
Ben Topor,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2026
Noun
Most standard blends are nitrogen-heavy, which encourages leaf growth instead of fruit.—
Nishaa Sharma,
The Spruce,
20 June 2026 In a wide-ranging conversation for Entertainment Weekly's cover story on the latest entry in the horror parody franchise, Faris looked back on her time making the stunt-heavy threequel in 2003.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for heavy
Researchers used the device to process time-series data, including signals that contained both rapid and slow changes.
—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Aug. 2026
However, there is another, slower and more insidious evacuation taking place, and that is the steady migration from rural areas all around the world to burgeoning cities, which now host more than half the world’s population.
Crews battled a large fire at a scrap metal yard in North Philadelphia's Hunting Park neighborhood Sunday night, sending thick, hazy smoke into the sky and raising concerns among neighbors who say problems at the property have persisted for years.
—
Eva Andersen,
CBS News,
9 Aug. 2026
Across the hall, in a lavender family room, a vintage TV installation by Jennifer stands in a corner playing hazy family videos and iconic cultural moments such as James Brown’s famously bizarre 1988 CNN interview on a loop.
The plan would sanction top Russian leaders and introduce harsh new penalties on nations that purchase oil and natural gas from Russia.
—
Claudia Grisales,
NPR,
7 Aug. 2026
Lebson and Richards denied that allegation, saying that Robert Gilman was held in extremely harsh conditions, tortured and injected with mind-altering drugs by guards, treatment that led to his transfer to the civilian hospital.
Establishing that sense of familiarity requires time spent playing and training together, something made more difficult by a constant carousel of new signings.
—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
9 Aug. 2026
Nugraha said difficult terrain has complicated efforts, with some hotspots located on steep volcanic slopes that are difficult to reach by land.
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