heavy-duty
Americanadjective
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providing an unusual amount of power, durability, etc..
heavy-duty machinery; heavy-duty shoes.
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very important, impressive, or serious.
heavy-duty involvement; heavy-duty questions.
noun
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made to withstand hard wear, bad weather, etc
heavy-duty uniforms
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subject to high import or export taxes
Etymology
Origin of heavy-duty
First recorded in 1910–15
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.
In Chiang Mai, doctor Thanakrit Im-iam was wearing a heavy-duty respirator to protect himself.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
The automaker will run its heavy-duty truck plant in Michigan six days a week starting in June.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
GM’s heavy-duty pickups are sold to businesses like construction companies, as well as to individual customers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
Beyond its free version of ChatGPT, OpenAI offers an $8 Go plan for casual users, the standard $20 Plus plan and a $200 Pro tier for heavy-duty developers.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026
I mean that crying jag—the way he was carrying on—-it wasn’t fake or anything, it was real heavy-duty hurt.
From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
