(heavier, heaviest, heavies)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
Something that is ~ weighs a lot.
These scissors are awfully ~...
The mud stuck to her boots, making her feet ~ and her legs tired.
? light
ADJ
heaviness
...a sensation of warmth and heaviness in the muscles.
N-UNCOUNT
2.
You use ~ to ask or talk about how much someone or something weighs.
How ~ are you?...
Protons are nearly 2000 times as ~ as electrons.
ADJ: how ADJ, as ADJ as , ADJ-compar than
3.
Heavy means great in amount, degree, or intensity.
Heavy fighting has been going on...
He worried about her ~ drinking...
The traffic along Fitzjohn’s Avenue was ~.
ADJ: usu ADJ n
heavily
It has been raining heavily all day.
ADV: ADV after v, ADV -ed/adj
heaviness
...the heaviness of the blood loss.
N-UNCOUNT
4.
Someone or something that is ~ is solid in appearance or structure, or is made of a thick material.
He was short and ~...
? light
ADJ
heavily
He was a big man of about forty, wide-shouldered and heavily built.
ADV: ADV -ed
5.
A ~ meal is large in amount and often difficult to digest.
He had been feeling drowsy, the effect of an unusually ~ meal.
= filling
? light
ADJ
6.
Something that is ~ with things is full of them or loaded with them. (LITERARY)
The air is ~ with moisture...
= laden
ADJ: v-link ADJ with n
7.
If a person’s breathing is ~, it is very loud and deep.
Her breathing became slow and ~.
? light, shallow
ADJ
heavily
She sank back on the pillow and closed her eyes, breathing heavily as if asleep.
ADV: ADV after v
8.
A ~ movement or action is done with a lot of force or pressure.
...a ~ blow on the back of the skull...
? gentle
ADJ: ADJ n
heavily
I sat down heavily on the ground beside the road...
? gently
ADV: ADV after v
9.
A ~ machine or piece of military equipment is very large and very powerful.
...government militia backed by tanks and ~ artillery.
ADJ: ADJ n
10.
If you describe a period of time or a schedule as ~, you mean it involves a lot of work.
It’s been a ~ day and I’m tired...
= busy
ADJ: usu ADJ n
11.
Heavy work requires a lot of strength or energy.
The business is thriving and Philippa employs two full-timers for the ~ work.
ADJ: usu ADJ n
12.
If you say that something is ~ on another thing, you mean that it uses a lot of that thing or too much of that thing.
Tanks are ~ on fuel and destructive to roads.
ADJ: v-link ADJ on n
13.
Air or weather that is ~ is unpleasantly still, hot, and damp.
The outside air was ~ and moist and sultry.
= oppressive
ADJ
14.
If your heart is ~, you are sad about something. (LITERARY)
Mr Maddison handed over his resignation letter with a ~ heart.
? light
ADJ
15.
A situation that is ~ is serious and difficult to cope with. (INFORMAL)
I don’t want any more of that ~ stuff.
= serious
ADJ
16.
A ~ 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.
N-COUNT
17.
to make ~ weather of something : see weather
a ~ hand: see hand