weighty

adjective

ˈwā-tē How to pronounce weighty (audio)
Definition of weightynext
1
as in serious
having a matter of importance as its topic interrupted a weighty discussion with a silly question

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in important
having great meaning or lasting effect choosing a college is a weighty decision

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in massive
having great weight lifted the weighty sack and wondered what was in it

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in solemn
not joking or playful in mood or manner the police office looked at me with a rather weighty expression

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in influential
having power over the minds or behavior of others one of the weightiest figures in the field of pediatric medicine

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective weighty differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of weighty are cumbersome, cumbrous, heavy, and ponderous. While all these words mean "having great weight," weighty suggests having actual and not just relative weight.

a load of weighty boxes

How are the words cumbrous and cumbersome related as synonyms of weighty?

Both cumbrous and cumbersome imply heaviness and bulkiness that make for difficulty in grasping, moving, carrying, or manipulating.

wrestled with the cumbrous furniture
early cameras were cumbersome and inconvenient

When can heavy be used instead of weighty?

In some situations, the words heavy and weighty are roughly equivalent. However, heavy implies that something has greater density or thickness than the average of its kind or class.

a heavy child for his age

When might ponderous be a better fit than weighty?

The synonyms ponderous and weighty are sometimes interchangeable, but ponderous implies having great weight because of size and massiveness with resulting great inertia.

ponderous elephants in a circus parade

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of weighty Bolstered by weighty performances from Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, and Keira Knightley, the film dives into heavy themes of mortality and ethics with striking clarity. —Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026 American military and economic might is a weighty currency in Europe, where the continent is not yet ready to ward off a sustained conflict with Russia alone. —Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026 The Timberwolves can present a defensive nightmare for the Bulls — a dueling center duo balanced by high-level shooting guards, all revolving around the weighty gravitational pull created by Anthony Edwards. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026 Yet despite her weighty subject, the filmmaker approached her craft with levity. —Ben Croll, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for weighty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weighty
  1. serious
  2. important
  3. massive
  4. solemn
  5. influential
  6. major
  7. heavy
  8. stern
Adjective
  • In a statement to NBC News, Daiichi Sankyo, which makes Savaysa, said that the drug is used to reduce the risk of stroke and clots but added that anticoagulants can increase the risk of serious bleeding.
    — David Cox, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Many of these people had been charged with serious crimes like assaulting security officers or bus and train operators, weapons possession, or threatening drivers.
    — Amber Gaudet Updated February 5, Charlotte Observer, 5 Feb. 2026
Definition of serious
Adjective
  • As for the ever important flame, a high-performance burner powered by bio-GPL produced from 100 percent renewable feedstocks by energy company ENI is at the core of the torch.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Its mass is the most important factor in determining both its lifetime and its fate, with other secondary factors, such as metallicity (or the fraction of heavy elements present within it), also playing a role.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 6 Feb. 2026
Definition of important
Adjective
  • Wednesday’s strike against Ukraine comes a day after Russia launched a massive attack, deploying 470 drones in various cities and regions across the Eastern European country.
    — Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 12 Feb. 2026
  • The least massive stars take an enormous amount of time to burn through their fuel, living as red dwarfs and dying as white dwarfs, before fading away to black after roughly a quadrillion years pass.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 11 Feb. 2026
Definition of massive
Adjective
  • Queen Emma was the first to wear the sapphire tiara in official portraits and solemn ceremonies, setting a precedent that her successors respected.
    — Marta Martínez Tato, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Good Friday is a solemn day for Christians, who may reflect, fast and attend special church services.
    — Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 13 Feb. 2026
Definition of solemn
Adjective
  • Many consider Hunt to be the most well-rounded candidate, given her credentials as a former journalist, her familiarity with the BBC, track record of backing hits like Slow Horses and Sherlock, and her experience at one of the world’s most influential tech companies.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Online, conservatives have threatened to boycott the Super Bowl and the NFL more broadly, with influential voices like Newsmax host Greg Kelly and Tomi Lahren openly criticizing the league for choosing Bad Bunny as the performer.
    — Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Definition of influential
Adjective
  • At least five competing proposals have emerged from major coalitions, several of which have fractured in recent days as internal disputes deepened.
    — JACQUELINE CHARLES MIAMI HERALD, Arkansas Online, 6 Feb. 2026
  • This latest release coincides with a major celebration of his spiritual organization, the incarnation month of its second guru, Shah Satnam Singh.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
Definition of major
Adjective
  • Glenn, who became the first woman since Kwan to win three consecutive national titles, will come in as the heavy favorite but Liu, the only member of the team with Olympic experience, and the 18-year-old Levito, a silver medalist at worlds, could deliver just as easily.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
  • Stirred to life by Adam Evans, the chef at award-winning Birmingham restaurant Automatic Seafood and Oysters, this sophisticated dip is smoky and herb-heavy.
    — Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2026
Definition of heavy
Adjective
  • That way, your ideas can land without sounding stern.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Carro ended the hearing with a stern directive to defense lawyers, who repeatedly pushed back on the June 8 trial date.
    — Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 6 Feb. 2026
Definition of stern

Browse Nearby Words

weights (down)
weighty
weigh (upon)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Weighty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weighty. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of weighty for Spanish Speakers

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