heavily

[hev-uh-lee]

adverb

1. with a great weight or burden.

   a heavily loaded wagon.

2. in a manner suggestive of carrying a great weight; ponderously; lumberingly.

   He walked heavily across the room.

3. in an oppressive manner.

   Cares weigh heavily upon him.

4. severely; greatly; intensely.

   to suffer heavily.

5. densely; thickly.

   heavily wooded.

6. in large amounts or in great quantities; very much.

   It rained heavily on Tuesday.

7. without animation or vigor; in a dull manner; sluggishly.

Other Word Forms

• overheavily adverb
• unheavily adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of heavily¹

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

Example Sentences

The cemetery has already been heavily damaged by bombardments earlier in the conflict, with a crater left by a previous strike also visible.

From BBC

Rayner heavily leaned into that role and tried to use it to her party's advantage in the years before Labour's general election win in 2024.

From BBC

The party's future prospects seemingly rest heavily on Farage remaining its leader.

From BBC

There have been protests outside some hotels housing asylum seekers where flags have featured heavily among the placards.

From BBC

It relies heavily on revenue generated from license fees paid by cable, satellite and other multi-TV channel operators.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• densely www.thesaurus.com
• massively www.thesaurus.com
• thickly www.thesaurus.com