heftier; heftiest
1
: quite heavy
2
a
: marked by bigness, bulk, and usually strength
a hefty football player
c
: impressively large : substantial
hefty portions
heftily adverb
heftiness noun

Examples of hefty in a Sentence

He was a tall, hefty man. Her boss gave her a hefty raise. a hefty dose of irony He gave the door a hefty kick.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This happens as the Social Security Administration is already feeling the weight of hefty cuts from the Trump Administration. Rebecca Schneid, Time, 4 Aug. 2025 The longstanding approach to real estate transactions in America had a commission of roughly 5% to 6% paid by the seller and divided between the agents for the buyer and the seller – a hefty surcharge that some observers believe inflated home sale prices. Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2025 Also cutting deals with Trump and agreeing to hefty tariffs were Pakistan, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2025 The Spice Lord Challenge entails consuming 12 hefty chicken wings doused in Big Lug’s Carolina Reaper sauce in 10 minutes. Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 2 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hefty

Word History

First Known Use

1863, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hefty was in 1863

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hefty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hefty. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

hefty

adjective
heftier; heftiest
heftily adverb
heftiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on hefty

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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