heavily

[ hev-uh-lee ]

adverb

1. with a great weight or burden:

   a heavily loaded wagon.

2. in a manner suggestive of carrying a great weight; ponderously; lumberingly:

   He walked heavily across the room.

3. in an oppressive manner:

   Cares weigh heavily upon him.

4. severely; greatly; intensely:

   to suffer heavily.

5. densely; thickly:

   heavily wooded.

6. in large amounts or in great quantities; very much:

   It rained heavily on Tuesday.

7. without animation or vigor; in a dull manner; sluggishly.

Other Words From

• over·heavi·ly adverb
• un·heavi·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of heavily¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English hevyly, Old English hefiglīce; equivalent to heavy + -ly

Example Sentences

California voters are heavily Democratic and a high minimum wage generally aligns with left-wing values, but voters on both sides of the aisle didn’t adhere to typical party-line trends when it came to Proposition 32.

From Los Angeles Times

Many new users have said their decision to join Bluesky was driven by Elon Musk, who heavily backed Donald Trump's election campaign and intends to remain involved in the new administration.

From BBC

Footage from the city verified by the BBC showed massive destruction, with residential buildings heavily damaged.

From BBC

Steel and Tran both focused heavily on outreach to Asian American voters, who make up a plurality of the district that runs through 17 cities including Garden Grove, Westminster, Fountain Valley, Buena Park and Cerritos.

From Los Angeles Times

Prices on products that rely heavily on imports, such as electronics, toys and clothes, would be likely to rise, ABC News reported.

From Salon

Related Words

• densely
• massively
• thickly