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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

Examples 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 Dream Pairs Platform Loafers These weighty platform loafers with horsebit details are reminiscent of designer versions, but with an under-$40 price tag. Esme Benjamin, People.com, 18 Oct. 2024 Thread count tends to exceed 200 and percale weave feels weighty but is breathable enough to be one of the top picks for warm weather and hot sleepers. Nora Taylor, Architectural Digest, 30 Oct. 2024 The festival’s full-time programming team travels year-long to festivals such as the Berlinale, Cannes, and TIFF to scout the finest work, and the weighty influence of the American Film Institute ensures the glamour and the gravitas. Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2024 The former president was greeted by a crowd of 2,000 with sparse cheers amid weighty silence, which could be felt viscerally, even through the livestream. Keyaira Kelly, refinery29.com, 8 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for weighty 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weighty
Adjective
  • The Trump administration now needs to get serious about shaping regional and global conventions around digital trade, anticorruption, and intellectual property rights to counter Beijing’s efforts to bend weaker states to its will and obstruct U.S. economic access.
    Michael Green, Foreign Affairs, 19 Nov. 2024
  • What this translates to is a fast and efficient desktop that's more than capable of serious office work and gaming alike.
    PCMAG, PCMAG, 16 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The pre-shredded packages are coated in a starch to prevent sticking and can impede the melting Slicing your potatoes evenly is important to ensuring they are cooked and become tender at the same time.
    Melissa Gray, Southern Living, 23 Nov. 2024
  • What’s important is that the tree makes your home feel warm and cozy all season long.
    Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Despite Kamala Harris having a massive ground game, Donald Trump won by a significant margin.
    The Arizona Republic, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024
  • Lutnick, by contrast, obsesses over minutiae, having made a career slicing small profits from massive transactions, exploring virtually every nook and cranny on Wall Street.
    Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Chu, however, takes Wicked very seriously indeed; so much so that he’s stretched out the musical’s 90-minute first act into a lugubrious two hours and 40 minutes, mostly by keeping the pacing slow and solemn.
    Constance Grady, Vox, 20 Nov. 2024
  • These official honor services are solemn moments to honor the sacrifice of our officers and first responders.
    Mollie Markowitz, Fox News, 18 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • An academic by training, Bettencourt Meyers has been an influential figure in French business despite keeping a low profile.
    Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 28 Nov. 2024
  • Eight years before George R.R. Martin published Game of Thrones, Tad Williams released The Dragonbone Chair, the first installment in what would become a highly influential fantasy series called Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn.
    Sarah Jones, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Yes, Fast Fire Watch Guards operates in most major cities across the U.S., guaranteeing a fire watch security guard can reach your venue within hours.
    Kyle Russell, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
  • Another challenge for farmers is climate change, which has led to major weather events that have impacted cotton production and yield, such as extreme flooding and droughts.
    Sarah Jones, Sourcing Journal, 21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Caterpillars and mites have been heavy feeders; control with natural sprays.
    Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 30 Nov. 2024
  • Breakfast-cereal-sized flakes of copper and aluminum are poured into large, heavy plastic bags, leaving the black mass behind.
    Vince Beiser, WIRED, 30 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Unable to find the individual, Bryan delivered a stern warning instead.
    Angel Saunders, People.com, 26 Nov. 2024
  • Montgomery based the story of Anne in part on her own upbringing, after her mother died and her father left her with her stern grandparents in Cavendish on the north shore of the island.
    Melanie Stetson Freeman, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near weighty

Cite this Entry

“Weighty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weighty. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

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