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
The elegant staging tries to compensate, but the performers have to rely a little too heavily on their own charms to make up the difference in a play that swerves unexpectedly at the end into a cutesy fairy tale.
—
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
While these new additions span various sectors, their valuations are heavily reliant on AI capital spending.
—Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Those initial reviews heavily criticized the facility for keeping animals in inadequate and severely overcrowded conditions, relying on outdated medical protocols and suffering from severe veterinary staffing shortages.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 19 June 2026
One of the easiest ways to do that is by drafting a player who is under your control contractually for a few seasons without counting heavily against your salary cap.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for heavily
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Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
While these new additions span various sectors, their valuations are heavily reliant on AI capital spending.
—Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Those initial reviews heavily criticized the facility for keeping animals in inadequate and severely overcrowded conditions, relying on outdated medical protocols and suffering from severe veterinary staffing shortages.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 19 June 2026
One of the easiest ways to do that is by drafting a player who is under your control contractually for a few seasons without counting heavily against your salary cap.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 19 June 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 20 Jun. 2026.
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