Standard Lemma guide

heavily

adv · 12 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈhɛvɪli/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: HH EH1 V AH0 L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

With a great weight.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • heavily burdened
  • She fell heavily into bed.
  • He clomped heavily up the stairs in his boots.
  • The great clod trod heavily on my toes!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

To a considerable degree, to a great extent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He relied heavily on the data collected by the others.
  • Your advice still weighs heavily with me.
  • This problem weighs heavily on my mind.
  • He drank heavily.
  • heavily in debt; heavily tattooed
  • heavily pregnant

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adv

Meaning 3

In a manner designed for heavy duty.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • heavily armed soldiers; heavily armoured tanks; heavily reinforced walls

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adv

Meaning 4

So as to be thick or heavy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • heavily built young men; his heavily muscled arms

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adv

Meaning 5

In a laboured manner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • he breathed heavily

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adverb

Meaning 6

to a considerable degree

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he relied heavily on others' data

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: to a great extent

Antonyms: none provided

7

adverb

Meaning 7

indulging excessively

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he drank heavily

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: intemperately, hard

Antonyms: lightly

8

adverb

Meaning 8

in a labored manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he breathed heavily

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

adverb

Meaning 9

slowly as if burdened by much weight

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • time hung heavy on their hands

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: heavy

Antonyms: none provided

10

adverb

Meaning 10

in a manner designed for heavy duty

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a heavily constructed car
  • heavily armed

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

adverb

Meaning 11

in a heavy-footed manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he walked heavily up the three flights to his room

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

adverb

Meaning 12

with great force

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • she hit her arm heavily against the wall

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English hevely, hevyliche, from Old English hefiġlīċe (“heavily; grievously”), equivalent to heavy + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

26 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: тежко (težko) — in a heavy manner
  • Catalan: pesadament — in a heavy manner
  • Catalan: feixugament — in a heavy manner
  • Czech: ztěžka — in a heavy manner
  • Esperanto: pezege — in a heavy manner
  • Estonian: tugevalt — in a heavy manner
  • Finnish: raskaasti — in a heavy manner
  • Finnish: painavasti — in a heavy manner
  • Interlingua: pesantemente — in a heavy manner
  • Italian: pesantemente — in a heavy manner
  • Middle English: hevyliche — in a heavy manner
  • Russian: тяжело́ (tjaželó) — in a heavy manner
  • Russian: си́льно (sílʹno) — in a heavy manner
  • Spanish: pesadamente — in a heavy manner
  • Czech: těžce — in a manner designed for heavy duty
  • Finnish: raskaasti — in a manner designed for heavy duty
  • Italian: fortemente — in a manner designed for heavy duty
  • Russian: тяжело́ (tjaželó) — in a manner designed for heavy duty
  • Bulgarian: мъчително (mǎčitelno) — in a laboured manner
  • Bulgarian: с усилия (s usilija) — in a laboured manner
  • Czech: ztěžka — in a laboured manner
  • Finnish: raskaasti — in a laboured manner
  • Italian: intensamente — in a laboured manner
  • Russian: тяжело́ (tjaželó) — in a laboured manner
  • Russian: с трудо́м (s trudóm) — in a laboured manner
  • Spanish: pesadamente — in a laboured manner
Real reading context

heavily in complete knowledge articles