hefty

adjective \ ˈhef-tē \

Updated on: 4 Dec 2017

Definition of hefty

heftier; heftiest

1 : quite heavy

2 a : marked by bigness, bulk, and usually strength

a hefty football player

b : powerful, mighty

c : impressively large : substantial

hefty portions

—

heftily

play \ˈhef-tə-lē\ adverb

—

heftiness

play \-tē-nəs\ noun

See hefty defined for English-language learners

See hefty defined for kids

Examples of hefty in a Sentence

He was a tall, hefty man.
Her boss gave her a hefty raise.
a hefty dose of irony
He gave the door a hefty kick.

Recent Examples of hefty from the Web

Using unlicensed software can carry a hefty cost for companies and individuals who violate those terms of agreement.

— phillip m. bailey, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville could face fines and legal action in software piracy dispute with Microsoft," 25 Sep. 2017
Flynn is among more than a dozen former Trump campaign officials and advisers who are at risk of hefty legal costs following the appointment in May of special counsel Robert Mueller.

— john mccormick, Bloomberg.com, "Family of Former Trump Adviser Flynn Opens Legal Defense Fund," 18 Sep. 2017
Others have taken issue with the project's hefty cost to the state, which would be shouldered by Wisconsin taxpayers.

— nicole lewis, chicagotribune.com, "Fact checking President Trump's repeated claim of credit for Foxconn's deal in Wisconsin," 8 Sep. 2017
Seizing back governance of the schools will come with a hefty price tag.

— Philly.com, "Kenney announces timeline to take back Philly schools; no clear plan to fund them," 2 Nov. 2017
At age 56, Marchello was the only woman on her crew, working rigs where six-figure salaries and hefty bonuses attract those without college degrees and few job prospects.

— krista stevens, Longreads, "The Female Fracker: A Rare Species in North Dakota," 25 Oct. 2017
Some hefty medical bills can quickly eat up a lifetime of savings.

— leslie haggin geary, sandiegouniontribune.com, "6 key retirement planning steps if you’re 50 or older," 2 Oct. 2017
Both universities have also made sure to split their own hefty profit.

— peter dawson, star-telegram, "Heated rivalry aside, Texas and OU fans agree Cotton Bowl is where game should be," 13 Oct. 2017
However, the hefty cost falls in line with the $5.28 million spent on DeVos’s security from February through September of this year — which wound up costing $2.5 million more than originally projected.

— lisa ryan, The Cut, "Betsy DeVos’s ‘Extremely Unusual’ Security Detail Could Cost $6.5 Million Over the Next Year," 3 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hefty.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of hefty

1863

hefty Synonyms

Synonyms

heavy, massive, ponderous, weighty

Antonyms

light, weightless

Related Words

burdensome, leaden, lumpish; bulky, elephantine, massy, outsize (also outsized), voluminous; overweight, top-heavy; solid, substantial; ultraheavy

Near Antonyms

airy, ethereal, feathery, fluffy, gossamer, gossamery; flimsy, insubstantial, slight; lightweight, undersized (also undersize), underweight; ultralight, ultralightweight

HEFTY Defined for English Language Learners

hefty

adjective

Definition of hefty for English Language Learners

: large and heavy : big and strong
: very large
: very forceful

HEFTY Defined for Kids

hefty

adjective \ ˈhef-tē \

Definition of hefty for Students

heftier; heftiest

1 : heavy 1

2 : very forceful

He opened the door with a hefty shove.

Learn More about hefty

See words that rhyme with hefty Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hefty Spanish Central: Translation of hefty Nglish: Translation of hefty for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of hefty for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up hefty? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

hefty

Definition of hefty

heftily

heftiness

From the M-W Editors

Examples of hefty in a Sentence

Recent Examples of hefty from the Web

First Known Use of hefty

hefty Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Phrases Related to HEFTY

Related Phrases

HEFTY Defined for English Language Learners

hefty

Definition of hefty for English Language Learners

HEFTY Defined for Kids

hefty

Definition of hefty for Students

Learn More about hefty

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Trending: Franks Resigns Amid 'Surrogacy' Scandal

'Wreck' and 'Reckless': Accidents Happen

Intact Latin Quiz

It's a Living: Last Names That Started as Jobs

Words of the Year: 1066