1
: to a great degree : severely
The building was heavily damaged.
The decision weighs heavily on my mind. [=is very difficult and worrisome]
2
: slowly and laboriously : dully
sighed heavily
3
archaic
: with sorrow : grievously
4
: in a heavy manner
sat down heavily
Examples of heavily in a Sentence
He relies heavily on his wife for advice.
These artists borrow heavily from Picasso.
Our flowers were heavily damaged by a late spring frost.
She drank and smoked heavily for years.
He sat down heavily on the couch.
He was leaning heavily on the table.
She sighed heavily then said “Okay, I'll do it.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Orbán has campaigned heavily on how his government has kept energy costs down, which the report calls into question.
—
Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
Kylan Boswell, the Illini’s second-leading scorer and top defensive player, returned and played nearly 33 minutes after missing seven games with a broken right hand, his dominant hand, which was heavily taped and padded.
—Steve Stein, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
The group argues public schools in Connecticut rely too heavily on out-of-school suspensions to discipline students, with harm caused disproportionately to students of color, students with disabilities and LGBTQ students.
—Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2026
The victory marked a Daytona sweep for three team owners heavily involved in the trial.
—Jenna Fryer, Twin Cities, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heavily
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Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
Kylan Boswell, the Illini’s second-leading scorer and top defensive player, returned and played nearly 33 minutes after missing seven games with a broken right hand, his dominant hand, which was heavily taped and padded.
—Steve Stein, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
The group argues public schools in Connecticut rely too heavily on out-of-school suspensions to discipline students, with harm caused disproportionately to students of color, students with disabilities and LGBTQ students.
—Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2026
The victory marked a Daytona sweep for three team owners heavily involved in the trial.
—Jenna Fryer, Twin Cities, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heavily
Cite this Entry
“Heavily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavily. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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