heft

1 of 2

noun

ˈheft 

1

a

: weight, heaviness

b

: importance, influence

2

archaic : the greater part of something : bulk

heft

2 of 2

verb

hefted; hefting; hefts

transitive verb

1

: to heave up : hoist

2

: to test the weight of by lifting

hefting the rod … to get the feel of it

—Consumer Reports

Synonyms

Noun

• avoirdupois
• heaviness
• weight

Verb

• boost
• heave
• hoist
• jack (up)
• upheave

Examples of heft in a Sentence

Noun

the heft of a good hammer

some synthetic fabrics are nice and warm, but I prefer wool because it has more heft

Verb

hefted his growing son onto his shoulders

heft your baggy gym shorts a little higher—you're showing us more than we care to see

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Iceland had a few great ones and a fluffy puffin stuffed animal, which all added heft to my luggage. —Katy Spratte Joyce, Travel + Leisure, 10 Dec. 2024

Microsoft’s cybersecurity failings, combined with its heft as a government contractor, are seen by the FTC as an example of the company’s problematic power over the market, those people said. —Afp, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2024

Verb

Find it on Amazon This Cordless Vacuum Makes Housekeeping Simpler Don’t worry about cords or hefting a heavy machine up and down stairs. —Hyphensocial Contributors, Rolling Stone, 5 Oct. 2024

This would normally involve sending a vessel to each turbine, employing a crane to heft the gear up to the transition piece. —New Atlas, 8 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

from heave, after such pairs as weave : weft

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

circa 1661, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

heft

1 of 2 noun

ˈheft 

: weight entry 1 sense 1a, heaviness

heft

2 of 2 verb

1

: to heave up : lift

2

: to test the weight of by lifting