weighty

adjective

ˈwā-tē How to pronounce weighty (audio)
weightier; weightiest
Synonyms of weightynext
1
a
: of much importance or consequence : momentous
a weighty problem
b
: solemn
2
a
: weighing a considerable amount
b
: heavy in proportion to its bulk
weighty metal
3
: powerful, telling entry 1
weighty arguments
weightily
ˈwā-tə-lē How to pronounce weighty (audio)
adverb
weightiness
ˈwā-tē-nəs How to pronounce weighty (audio)
noun

Synonyms of weighty

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heavy, weighty, ponderous, cumbrous, cumbersome mean having great weight.

heavy implies that something has greater density or thickness than the average of its kind or class.

a heavy child for his age

weighty suggests having actual and not just relative weight.

a load of weighty boxes

ponderous implies having great weight because of size and massiveness with resulting great inertia.

ponderous elephants in a circus parade

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

Examples of weighty in a Sentence

She grabbed a weighty book off the shelf. The film deals with some weighty issues. Those are weighty arguments in your favor. He was a weighty figure in the art world.
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.
And weighty ropes—the sort that might be used to moor a boat—are braided with chains and arranged on the ground in the form of a curving river. — Carolina A. Miranda, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026 Marris said that Cruz has a weighty decision to make about how to go forward — including whether to retry the case at all. — Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026 Things are changing in the wonky, weighty world of college accreditation, and in some ways, Georgia is at the center of the national overhaul. — Jason Armesto, AJC.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Now extrapolate this problem to weightier areas, like healthcare or financial services and the consequences are pretty serious. — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for weighty

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of weighty was in the 15th century

Rhymes for weighty

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Browse Nearby Words

weight training
weighty
weigh up
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Cite this Entry

“Weighty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weighty. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

weighty

adjective
ˈwāt-ē How to pronounce weighty (audio)
weightier; weightiest
1
: having much weight : heavy
2
a
: of much importance : serious
weighty problems
b
: showing seriousness : solemn
a weighty expression on her face
3
: having the power to influence or persuade
weighty arguments
weightily
ˈwāt-ᵊl-ē How to pronounce weighty (audio)
adverb
weightiness noun
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