Synonyms

heavily

American

[hev-uh-lee] / ˈhɛv ə li /

adverb

with a great weight or burden.

a heavily loaded wagon.
in a manner suggestive of carrying a great weight; ponderously; lumberingly.

He walked heavily across the room.
in an oppressive manner.

Cares weigh heavily upon him.
severely; greatly; intensely.

to suffer heavily.
densely; thickly.

heavily wooded.
in large amounts or in great quantities; very much.

It rained heavily on Tuesday.
without animation or vigor; in a dull manner; sluggishly.

Other Word Forms

overheavily adverb
unheavily adverb

Etymology

Origin of heavily

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

There are three other stakes races Saturday, including the race after the Derby, the Monrovia, with Queen Maxima heavily favored to win for the second straight year for Arthur and Islas.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

Despite a fledgling oil and gas industry, Senegal relies heavily on importing fuel.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

Blood pressure is heavily influenced by a hormone called aldosterone, which helps regulate salt and water levels in the body.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

Higher oil prices pushed inflation above the central bank’s 2.0% target in March, posing a headache for South Korea, a major energy importer that relies heavily on oil and gas from the Middle East.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

He must have been heavily entangled, and maybe when the Columbian Guards had tried to tug it off him, the rope had only tightened further.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023