Standard Lemma guide

heaviness

noun · 8 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

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  • /ˈhɛvɪnəs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The state of being heavy; weight, weightiness, force of impact or gravity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Oppression; dejectedness, sadness; low spirits.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Drowsiness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

unwelcome burdensome difficulty

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: burdensomeness, onerousness, oppressiveness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: difficulty, difficultness

5

noun

Meaning 5

the property of being comparatively great in weight

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the heaviness of lead

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: weightiness

Antonyms: lightness

Broader terms: weight

Narrower terms: heft, heftiness, massiveness, ponderousness, ponderosity, preponderance

6

noun

Meaning 6

used of a line or mark

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: thickness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: wideness, broadness

7

noun

Meaning 7

an oppressive quality that is laborious and solemn and lacks grace or fluency

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a book so serious that it sometimes subsided into ponderousness
  • his lectures tend to heaviness and repetition

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ponderousness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: uninterestingness

8

noun

Meaning 8

persisting sadness

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • nothing lifted the heaviness of her heart after her loss

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sadness, unhappiness

History

Etymology

From Middle English hevynesse, from Old English hefiġnes (“heaviness”). Equivalent to heavy + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

28 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Southern Altai: уурлык (uurlïk) — weightiness
  • Arabic: ثِقَل (ṯiqal) — weightiness
  • Armenian: ծանրություն (canrutʻyun) — weightiness
  • Azerbaijani: ağırlıq — weightiness
  • Bulgarian: тежест (težest) — weightiness
  • Catalan: pesadesa — weightiness
  • Dutch: zwaarte — weightiness
  • Dutch: zwaarheid — weightiness
  • French: lourdeur — weightiness
  • German: Schwere — weightiness
  • Ancient Greek: βαρύτης (barútēs) — weightiness
  • Ilocano: dagas — weightiness
  • Irish: múisiam — weightiness
  • Kazakh: зіл (zıl) — weightiness
  • Ladino: pezgades — weightiness
  • Ladino: pezgor — weightiness
  • Classical Nahuatl: etiliztli — weightiness
  • Occitan: pesantor — weightiness
  • Persian: سنگینی (sangini) — weightiness
  • Portuguese: peso — weightiness
  • Russian: тя́жесть (tjážestʹ) — weightiness
  • Spanish: pesadez — weightiness
  • Spanish: pesadura (desus.) — weightiness
  • Tocharian B: krāmär — weightiness
  • Ottoman Turkish: ثقلت (sıklet) — weightiness
  • Vietnamese: sức nặng — weightiness
  • Vietnamese: độ nặng — weightiness
  • Bulgarian: тягост (tjagost) — oppression, dejectedness, sadness