heav·y (hĕv́ē)

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[Middle English hevi, from Old English hefig.]

adjective: -i·er, -i·est. 

1. Having relatively great weight: a heavy load.
2. Having relatively high density; having a high specific gravity.
3. 1. Large, as in number or quantity: a heavy turnout; heavy casualties.
   2. Large in yield or output: heavy rainfall.
4. Of great intensity: heavy activity; heavy fighting.
5. 1. Having great power or force: a heavy punch.
   2. Violent; rough: heavy seas.
6. 1. Equipped with massive armaments and weapons: a heavy cruiser; heavy infantry.
   2. Large enough to fire powerful shells: heavy guns.
7. 1. Indulging to a great degree: a heavy drinker.
   2. Involved or participating on a large scale: a heavy investor.
8. Of great import or seriousness; grave: heavy matters of state.
9. 1. Having considerable thickness: a heavy coat.
   2. Broad or coarse: drew the face with heavy lines.
10. 1. Dense; thick: a heavy fog.
    2. Slow to dissipate; strong: “There was a heavy fragrance of flowers and lemon trees” (Mario Puzo)
    3. Too dense or rich to digest easily: a heavy dessert.
    4. Insufficiently leavened: heavy bread.
    5. Full of clay and readily saturated: heavy soil.
11. 1. Weighed down; burdened: trees heavy with plums.
    2. Emotionally weighed down; despondent: a heavy heart.
    3. Marked by or exhibiting weariness: heavy lids.
    4. Sad or painful: heavy news.
12. 1. Hard to do or accomplish; arduous: heavy going; heavy reading.
    2. Not easily borne; oppressive: heavy taxes.
13. Lacking vitality; deficient in vivacity or grace: a heavy gait; heavy humor.
14. Sharply inclined; steep: a heavy grade.
15. Having a large capacity or designed for rough work: a heavy truck.
16. Of, relating to, or involving the large-scale production of basic products, such as steel: heavy industry.
17. Of or relating to a serious dramatic role.
18. Physics Of or relating to an isotope with an atomic mass greater than the average mass of that element.
19. Loud; sonorous: a heavy sound; heavy breathing.
20. Linguistics Of, relating to, or being a syllable ending in a long vowel or in a vowel plus two consonants.
21. Slang
    1. Of great significance or profundity.
    2. Very popular or important: a rock star who is really heavy.

adverb: -i·er, -i·est. 

Heavily: The snow is falling heavier tonight than last night.

noun: pl., -ies. 

1. 1. A serious or tragic role in a play.
   2. An actor playing such a role.
2. Slang A villain in a story or play.
3. Slang A mobster.
4. Slang One that is very important or influential: a media heavy.

derivatives

heav́i·ness

noun

synonyms:

heavy, weighty, hefty, massive, ponderous, cumbersome These adjectives mean having a relatively great weight. Heavy refers to what has great physical weight ( a heavy boulder ) and figuratively to what is burdensome or oppressive to the spirit ( heavy responsibilities ). Weighty literally denotes having considerable weight ( a weighty package ); figuratively, it describes what is onerous, serious, or important ( a weighty decision ). Hefty refers principally to physical heaviness or brawniness: a hefty book; a tall, hefty wrestler. Massive describes what is bulky, heavy, solid, and strong: massive marble columns. Ponderous refers to what has great mass and weight and usually implies unwieldiness: ponderous prehistoric beasts. Figuratively it describes what is complicated, involved, or lacking in grace: a book with a ponderous plot. Something cumbersome is difficult to move, handle, or deal with because it is heavy, bulky, or clumsy: cumbersome luggage.