heavy
A1Neutral (common across all registers)
Definition
Meaning
Having great weight; of high density or great physical force.
Used figuratively to describe something serious, intense, burdensome, large in amount or degree, or profound.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The primary physical meaning is the basis for a wide range of metaphorical extensions describing intensity, seriousness, difficulty, and abundance.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal in core meaning. Minor differences in some collocations (e.g., 'heavy goods vehicle' UK vs 'heavy-duty truck' US). 'Heavy' is used in UK slang to mean a serious person, a thug.
Connotations
Similar. In both, it can negatively connote burden and difficulty, or positively connote substance and importance.
Frequency
Equally frequent and core in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
heavy with N (heavy with fruit)heavy on N (heavy on the garlic)it is heavy to V (It is heavy to lift)N is heavy (The box is heavy)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “time hangs heavy”
- “heavy lies the crown”
- “make heavy weather of something”
- “heavy going”
- “lay it on heavy”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to significant investment, losses, or market activity ('heavy trading', 'heavy losses').
Academic
Describes profound or dense material ('heavy reading', 'a heavy tome'), or serious consequences.
Everyday
Most common for physical weight, weather, traffic, and describing difficulty ('a heavy day').
Technical
In physics/engineering: relating to mass and weight. In music: a genre ('heavy metal'). In computing: resource-intensive ('heavy application').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The ship began to heavy in the rough seas.
- (Rare, nautical) To make heavy.
American English
- (Rare, chiefly in 'heavied') The boss heavied him into agreeing.
adverb
British English
- Time hung heavy on their hands.
- (Informal) He leaned heavy on the argument.
American English
- The guilt lay heavy on him.
- (Informal) Come down heavy on rule-breakers.
adjective
British English
- This suitcase is far too heavy for the cabin.
- We're expecting heavy showers later.
American English
- This box is really heavy.
- There was heavy rainfall overnight.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My school bag is very heavy.
- It's raining heavily today.
- The table is made of heavy wood.
- He is a heavy sleeper and didn't hear the alarm.
- The government imposed heavy taxes on fuel.
- She felt heavy with sadness after the news.
- The report makes heavy reading for anyone unfamiliar with the topic.
- The company took heavy losses during the recession.
- There is a heavy reliance on imported goods.
- The director's latest film is a heavy-handed critique of consumerism.
- The negotiations were heavy going, with little progress made on key issues.
- He was known for his heavy involvement in charitable foundations.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a HEAVY elephant (HEAV-E) trying to lift a weight. The 'HEAV' reminds you of 'heave' (to lift with effort).
Conceptual Metaphor
IMPORTANCE/SERIOUSNESS IS WEIGHT (a heavy responsibility), DIFFICULTY IS WEIGHT (a heavy workload), ABUNDANCE IS WEIGHT (heavy rain).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'heavy' for thick liquids/dense materials (use 'thick' for soup, fog).
- Do not use 'heavy' for a deep sleeper (use 'sound' or 'deep').
- 'Heavy drinker' is a set phrase; do not translate literally from Russian 'крепкий' (strong).
- Be careful with 'heavy news' – it means serious/bad news, not important news in general.
Common Mistakes
- *I have a heavy cold. (Correct: *bad/severe* cold)
- *This book has heavy pages. (Correct: *thick* pages)
- Confusing 'heavy' with 'hard' (a heavy work vs. hard work).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'heavy' used correctly in a business context?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, but it is the standard one (e.g., 'it rained heavily'). 'Heavy' can be used informally as an adverb in some phrasal verbs or idioms (e.g., 'to lie heavy', 'come down heavy').
Yes, informally. 'A heavy' can mean a serious/thuggish person. 'Heavy' can also describe a serious, intense, or oppressive personality (e.g., 'He's a bit heavy to be around').
They are often synonymous for physical weight. 'Weighty' is more formal and is preferred for abstract, serious matters (e.g., 'weighty arguments', 'weighty decisions'). 'Heavy' is more common and broader.
Its core physical meaning is learned very early (A1). The extended metaphorical meanings are acquired gradually at higher levels (B1-C1), but the word's high frequency and basic core meaning justify its A1 status.
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Basic Adjectives
A1 · 46 words · Fundamental describing words used every day.
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