ponderous

[ pon-der-uhs ]

adjective

1. of great weight; heavy; massive.
2. awkward or unwieldy:

   He carried a ponderous burden on his back.

3. dull and labored:

   a ponderous dissertation.

   Synonyms: tedious, dreary, boring, heavy

   Antonyms: exciting, lively

ponderous

/ ˈpɒndərəs; ˌpɒndəˈrɒsɪtɪ /

adjective

1. of great weight; heavy; huge
2. (esp of movement) lacking ease or lightness; awkward, lumbering, or graceless
3. dull or laborious

   a ponderous oration

Derived Forms

• ˈponderously, adverb
• ˈponderousness, noun

Other Words From

• ponder·ous·ly adverb
• ponder·ous·ness pon·der·os·i·ty [pon-d, uh, -, ros, -i-tee], noun
• nonpon·der·osi·ty noun
• non·ponder·ous adjective
• non·ponder·ous·ly adverb
• non·ponder·ous·ness noun
• over·ponder·ous adjective
• over·ponder·ous·ly adverb
• over·ponder·ous·ness noun
• un·ponder·ous adjective
• un·ponder·ous·ly adverb
• un·ponder·ous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ponderous¹

1375–1425; late Middle English (< Middle French ponderos, pondereuse ) < Latin ponderōsus. See ponder, -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of ponderous¹

C14: from Latin ponderōsus of great weight, from pondus weight

Example Sentences

Thus their main tactical function related to a ponderous shock charge into the vulnerable formations of the enemy infantrymen, which would have caused a high number of casualties and general chaos among the foe’s ranks.

From Realm of History

For another, many Wear OS watches have been underpowered, with underwhelming processors that make the Wear OS experience seem slow and ponderous.

From Popular-Science

LeBron, with his ponderous try-hardiness, ends up being a lot worse than either.

From Time

It was a ponderous labyrinth of bolts, locks, and steel doors, making it an almost impregnable fortress.

From The Daily Beast

Archer plays the lead in a ponderous but thoughtful one-act play penned by her husband, Terry Jastrow.

From The Daily Beast

In “Dirty 30,” there are no ponderous attempts to chart the entire history of the crisis in order to set the scene.

From The Daily Beast

No ponderous adult consideration is possible–rather, adolescent snickering prevails.

From The Daily Beast

Yet even his staffers acknowledge he is a wooden candidate, a result of a long career in the ponderous halls of the House.

From The Daily Beast

The faint candle-light glimmered on a ponderous gilded cornice, which had also sustained violence.

From Project Gutenberg

The sewing-machine made a resounding clatter in the room; it was of a ponderous, by-gone make.

From Project Gutenberg

He produced a watch and studied it frowningly, then dismissed us and the recital of our troubles with a ponderous gesture.

From Project Gutenberg

When d'Aubran entered, the Seneschal was composed and in his wonted habit of ponderous dignity.

From Project Gutenberg

This was too direct a slap at Elmer Spiker to pass unnoticed; Elmer was too old an arguer to use any ponderous weapon in return.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• labored
• monotonous
• plodding
• stilted
• stodgy
• stuffy