heavy
♦♦ heavy /h'evi/ (heavier heaviest heavies)
1 [ADJ]
Something that is heavy weighs a lot.
These scissors are awfully heavy...
The mud stuck to her boots, making her feet heavy and her legs tired.
≠ light
● heaviness [N-UNCOUNT]
...a sensation of warmth and heaviness in the muscles.
2 [ADJ] how ADJ, as ADJ as, ADJ-compar than
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 [ADJ] usu ADJ n
Heavy means great in amount, degree, or intensity.
Heavy fighting has been going on...
He worried about her heavy drinking...
The traffic along Fitzjohn's Avenue was heavy.
● heavily [ADV] ADV after v, ADV -ed/adj
It has been raining heavily all day.
● heaviness [N-UNCOUNT]
...the heaviness of the blood loss.
4 [ADJ]
Someone or something that is heavy is solid in appearance or structure, or is made of a thick material.
He was short and heavy...
≠ light
● heavily [ADV] ADV -ed
He was a big man of about forty, wide-shouldered and heavily built.
5 [ADJ]
A heavy meal is large in amount and often difficult to digest.
He had been feeling drowsy, the effect of an unusually heavy meal.
= filling
≠ light
6 [ADJ] v-link ADJ with n
Something that is heavy with things is full of them or loaded with them. (LITERARY)
The air is heavy with moisture...
= laden
7 [ADJ]
If a person's breathing is heavy, it is very loud and deep.
Her breathing became slow and heavy.
≠ light, shallow
● heavily [ADV] ADV after v
She sank back on the pillow and closed her eyes, breathing heavily as if asleep.
8 [ADJ] ADJ n
A heavy movement or action is done with a lot of force or pressure.
...a heavy blow on the back of the skull...
≠ gentle
● heavily [ADV] ADV after v
I sat down heavily on the ground beside the road...
≠ gently
9 [ADJ] ADJ n
A heavy machine or piece of military equipment is very large and very powerful.
...government militia backed by tanks and heavy artillery.
10 [ADJ] usu ADJ n
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...
= busy
11 [ADJ] usu ADJ n
Heavy work requires a lot of strength or energy.
The business is thriving and Philippa employs two full-timers for the heavy work.
12 [ADJ] v-link ADJ on n
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.
13 [ADJ]
Air or weather that is heavy is unpleasantly still, hot, and damp.
The outside air was heavy and moist and sultry.
= oppressive
14 [ADJ]
If your heart is heavy, you are sad about something. (LITERARY)
Mr Maddison handed over his resignation letter with a heavy heart.
≠ light
15 [ADJ]
A situation that is heavy is serious and difficult to cope with. (INFORMAL)
I don't want any more of that heavy stuff.
= serious
16 [N-COUNT]
A heavy is a large strong man who is employed to protect a person or place, often by using violence. (INFORMAL)
They had employed heavies to evict shop squatters from neighbouring sites.
17
to make heavy weather of something: see weather
a heavy hand: see handheavy cream
[N-UNCOUNT]
Heavy cream is very thick cream. (AM; in BRIT, use double cream)heavy in|dus|try (heavy industries)
[N-VAR]
Heavy industry is industry in which large machines are used to produce raw materials or to make large objects.
≠ light industryheavy met|al (heavy metals)
1 [N-UNCOUNT] oft N n
Heavy metal is a type of very loud rock music with a fast beat.
...a German heavy metal band named The Scorpions.
2 [N-COUNT]
A heavy metal is a metallic element with a high density. Many heavy metals are poisonous. (TECHNICAL)
1 [ADJ]
Something that is heavy weighs a lot.
These scissors are awfully heavy...
The mud stuck to her boots, making her feet heavy and her legs tired.
≠ light
● heaviness [N-UNCOUNT]
...a sensation of warmth and heaviness in the muscles.
2 [ADJ] how ADJ, as ADJ as, ADJ-compar than
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 [ADJ] usu ADJ n
Heavy means great in amount, degree, or intensity.
Heavy fighting has been going on...
He worried about her heavy drinking...
The traffic along Fitzjohn's Avenue was heavy.
● heavily [ADV] ADV after v, ADV -ed/adj
It has been raining heavily all day.
● heaviness [N-UNCOUNT]
...the heaviness of the blood loss.
4 [ADJ]
Someone or something that is heavy is solid in appearance or structure, or is made of a thick material.
He was short and heavy...
≠ light
● heavily [ADV] ADV -ed
He was a big man of about forty, wide-shouldered and heavily built.
5 [ADJ]
A heavy meal is large in amount and often difficult to digest.
He had been feeling drowsy, the effect of an unusually heavy meal.
= filling
≠ light
6 [ADJ] v-link ADJ with n
Something that is heavy with things is full of them or loaded with them. (LITERARY)
The air is heavy with moisture...
= laden
7 [ADJ]
If a person's breathing is heavy, it is very loud and deep.
Her breathing became slow and heavy.
≠ light, shallow
● heavily [ADV] ADV after v
She sank back on the pillow and closed her eyes, breathing heavily as if asleep.
8 [ADJ] ADJ n
A heavy movement or action is done with a lot of force or pressure.
...a heavy blow on the back of the skull...
≠ gentle
● heavily [ADV] ADV after v
I sat down heavily on the ground beside the road...
≠ gently
9 [ADJ] ADJ n
A heavy machine or piece of military equipment is very large and very powerful.
...government militia backed by tanks and heavy artillery.
10 [ADJ] usu ADJ n
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...
= busy
11 [ADJ] usu ADJ n
Heavy work requires a lot of strength or energy.
The business is thriving and Philippa employs two full-timers for the heavy work.
12 [ADJ] v-link ADJ on n
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.
13 [ADJ]
Air or weather that is heavy is unpleasantly still, hot, and damp.
The outside air was heavy and moist and sultry.
= oppressive
14 [ADJ]
If your heart is heavy, you are sad about something. (LITERARY)
Mr Maddison handed over his resignation letter with a heavy heart.
≠ light
15 [ADJ]
A situation that is heavy is serious and difficult to cope with. (INFORMAL)
I don't want any more of that heavy stuff.
= serious
16 [N-COUNT]
A heavy is a large strong man who is employed to protect a person or place, often by using violence. (INFORMAL)
They had employed heavies to evict shop squatters from neighbouring sites.
17
to make heavy weather of something: see weather
a heavy hand: see handheavy cream
[N-UNCOUNT]
Heavy cream is very thick cream. (AM; in BRIT, use double cream)heavy in|dus|try (heavy industries)
[N-VAR]
Heavy industry is industry in which large machines are used to produce raw materials or to make large objects.
≠ light industryheavy met|al (heavy metals)
1 [N-UNCOUNT] oft N n
Heavy metal is a type of very loud rock music with a fast beat.
...a German heavy metal band named The Scorpions.
2 [N-COUNT]
A heavy metal is a metallic element with a high density. Many heavy metals are poisonous. (TECHNICAL)