WEIGHTY Synonyms: 219 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

weighty

adjective

ˈwā-tē

Definition of weighty

as in serious

having a matter of importance as its topic interrupted a weighty discussion with a silly question

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in important

having great meaning or lasting effect choosing a college is a weighty decision

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in massive

having great weight lifted the weighty sack and wondered what was in it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in solemn

not joking or playful in mood or manner the police office looked at me with a rather weighty expression

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in influential

having power over the minds or behavior of others one of the weightiest figures in the field of pediatric medicine

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 Some of those fundamental points outlined in that piece will be used here to get you up to speed on the weighty topic. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026 On October 1, Netflix will premiere Kazan’s sweeping adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel, an eminently readable doorstop stuffed with a variety of weighty themes. — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 18 Aug. 2026 Cotton saw those weighty choices unfold right in front of him. — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Aug. 2026 The slightly weightier fabric offers reliable warmth during the colder months, while the loose legs allow airflow to keep you cool in the heat. — Melody Kazel, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for weighty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for weighty

Adjective

Wearing something slightly more playful also helped keep the whole day from feeling too serious or dramatic.

— Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 2 Sep. 2026
But then Sandy stops by for a friendly chat, and his daughter Nina (Zosia Mamet, ice-cold and slightly underused) gets serious.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of serious

Adjective

That has changed quietly, with robots now performing important roles in operating rooms, hospital wards, rehabilitation centers, and corridors around the world.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Reseeding is particularly important in high-traffic areas or patches of the lawn where grubs, heat, or disease have left the turf thin.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of important

Adjective

Then, the Iran war started, resulting in massive disruption to the Strait of Hormuz, once one of the world's busiest oil-shipping lanes.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
Images of massive fires at oil refineries and warehouses showed up online despite restrictions on publication of content detailing the attacks.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of massive

Adjective

The text profiles the cooking of such influential figures as the Catalan chef Ferran Adrià and the Basque Country’s Juan Mari Arzak and provides recipes for centuries-old dishes from Madrid.

— Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 2 Sep. 2026
Woods, who is among the most influential figures in golf, has been involved in several road incidents in recent years.

— Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of influential

Adjective

Applying high-temperature treatment to large magnet components, however, would present major engineering challenges.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
The Italian supermodel attended this major film event wearing a dress from the Chanel Cruise 2026–2027 collection.

— Giacomo Aricò, Vogue, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of major

Adjective

Elroy Air said the latest flights will help inform the company’s efforts to deploy autonomous heavy-cargo aircraft safely and at scale.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
But such measures do not resolve the underlying imbalance between heavy borrowing and investor demand.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of heavy

Adjective

Irving was born in New York City on April 3, 1783, the son of a stern Scottish immigrant who ran a tidy import business selling wine, sugar, and hardware.

— Eric Lach, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
Former President Joe Biden turned to then-CIA Director William Burns to relay stern warnings to Russia before and after President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

— Matthew Mulligan, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of stern

Cite this Entry

Style

“Weighty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weighty. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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