weighty

adjective

ˈwā-tē 

weightier; weightiest

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

weighty arguments

weightily

ˈwā-tə-lē 

adverb

weightiness

ˈwā-tē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• grave
• heavy
• serious

Choose the Right Synonym for weighty

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

Toward the end, the speakers fielded weighty questions from the audience that intertwined morality, theology and politics. —Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Sep. 2024

Such weighty questions about a favorite summertime confection could soon be decided by the courts. —Chris Morris, Fortune, 7 June 2024

The mechanism is like a pressure cooker, Li says, with weighty water acting as the release valve. —Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Sep. 2024

Martel’s impressionistic and minimally plotted style costumes Chekovian family drama with concrete shoes, creating an unforgettable film that feels both weighty and dangerously unmoored in equal measure. —Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

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

Kids Definition

weighty

adjective

ˈwāt-ē 

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 

adverb

weightiness noun