heavy

Universal Words adjective, noun, adverb adjective (heavier, heaviest) weighing a lot 1 weighing a lot; difficult to lift or move: She was struggling with a heavy suitcase. * My brother is much heavier than me. * He tried to push the heavy door open. * How heavy is it (= how much does it weigh)? * (figurative) Her father carried a heavy burden of responsibility. OPPLIGHT worse than usual 2 more or worse than usual in amount, degree, etc: the noise of heavy traffic * heavy frost / rain / snow * the effects of heavy drinking * There was heavy fighting in the capital last night. * The penalty for speeding can be a heavy fine. * She spoke with heavy irony. OPPLIGHT not delicate 3 (of sb/sth's appearance or structure) large and solid; not delicate: big, dark rooms full of heavy furniture * He was tall and strong, with heavy features. OPPLIGHT material 4 (of the material or substance that sth is made of) thick: heavy curtains * a heavy coat OPPLIGHT full of sth 5 ~ with sth (literary) full of or loaded with sth: trees heavy with apples * The air was heavy with the scent of flowers. * His voice was heavy with sarcasm. * She was heavy with child (= pregnant). machines 6 [usuallybeforenoun] (of machines, vehicles or weapons) large and powerful: a wide range of engines and heavy machinery * heavy lorries / trucks * heavy goods vehicles busy 7 [usuallybeforenoun] involving a lot of work or activity; very busy: a heavy schedule * She'd had a heavy day. work 8 hard, especially because it requires a lot of physical strength: heavy digging / lifting fall / hit 9 falling or hitting sth with a lot of force: a heavy fall / blow meal / food 10 large in amount or very solid: a heavy lunch / dinner * a heavy cake * Avoid heavy foods that are difficult to digest. OPPLIGHT using a lot 11 ~ on sth (informal) using a lot of sth: Older cars are heavy on gas. * Don't go so heavy on the garlic. drinker / smoker / sleeper 12 [onlybeforenoun] (of a person) doing the thing mentioned more, or more deeply, than usual: a heavy drinker / eater / smoker * a heavy breather / sleeper sound 13 (of a sound that sb makes) loud and deep: heavy breathing / snoring * a heavy groan / sigh serious / difficult 14 (usually disapproving) (of a book, programme, style, etc.) serious; difficult to understand or enjoy: We found the play very heavy. * The discussion got a little heavy. sea / ocean 15 dangerous because of big waves, etc: strong winds and heavy seas air / weather 16 hot and lacking fresh air, in a way that is unpleasant: It's very heavy-I think there'll be a storm. soil 17 wet, sticky and difficult to dig or to move over strict 18 (of a person) very strict and harsh: Don't be so heavy on her-it wasn't her fault. heavily adverb: a heavily loaded van * to drink heavily * to be heavily taxed * to rely heavily on sb/sth * He fell heavily. * It was raining heavily. heaviness noun [U] IDIOMS get heavy (informal) to become very serious, because strong feelings are involved: They started shouting at me. It got very heavy. * Then he got heavy and tried to kiss me. heavy going used to describe sb/sth that is difficult to deal with or understand: She's a bit heavy going. * I found the course rather heavy going. heavy hand a way of doing sth or of treating people that is much stronger and less sensitive than it needs to be: the heavy hand of management a heavy heart a feeling of great sadness: She left her children behind with a heavy heart. the heavy mob / brigade (BrE, informal) a group of strong, often violent people employed to do sth such as protect sb a heavy silence / atmosphere a situation when people do not say anything, but feel embarrassed or uncomfortable make heavy weather of sth to seem to find sth more difficult or complicated than it needs to be: People in this country make such heavy weather of learning languages. moreatCROSSn., TOLLn. noun (plural heavies) 1 [C] (informal) a large strong man whose job is to protect a person or place, often using violence 2 [U] (ScotE) strong beer, especially BITTER: a pint of heavy adverb IDIOMS hang / lie heavy 1 ~ (on / in sth) (of a feeling or sth in the air) to be very noticeable in a particular place in a way that is unpleasant: Smoke lay heavy on the far side of the water. * Despair hangs heavy in the stifling air. 2 ~ on sb/sth to cause sb/sth to feel uncomfortable or anxious: The crime lay heavy on her conscience. \