heftier; heftiest
1
: quite heavy
2
a
: marked by bigness, bulk, and usually strength
a hefty football player
c
: impressively large : substantial
hefty portions
heftily adverb
heftiness noun

Examples of hefty in a Sentence

He was a tall, hefty man. Her boss gave her a hefty raise. a hefty dose of irony He gave the door a hefty kick.
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.
The losses followed Trump's threat to impose hefty tariffs on European wines and alcohol, further escalating trade tensions. Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025 Sponsorship and air travel are the two biggest factors, but merchandise waste often passes unseen as a hefty contributor. Vitas Carosella, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025 Many small family farms in Mexico could not compete with big U.S. farmers who enjoy hefty federal subsidies. Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2025 Almost every other country in the world doesn’t buy much of our goods because of hefty tariffs, which is why Jack Daniels and Levi’s jeans get taxed. Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hefty

Word History

First Known Use

1863, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hefty was in 1863

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hefty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hefty. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

hefty

adjective
heftier; heftiest
heftily adverb
heftiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on hefty

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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