WEIGHTY Synonyms: 219 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'weighty' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of weighty are cumbersome , cumbrous , heavy , and ponderous . While all these words mean "having great weight," weighty suggests having actual and not just relative weight. // a load of weighty boxes

Q: How are the words 'cumbrous' and 'cumbersome' related as synonyms of 'weighty'?

Both cumbrous and cumbersome imply heaviness and bulkiness that make for difficulty in grasping, moving, carrying, or manipulating. // wrestled with the cumbrous furniture // early cameras were cumbersome and inconvenient

Q: When can 'heavy' be used instead of 'weighty'?

In some situations, the words heavy and weighty are roughly equivalent. However, heavy implies that something has greater density or thickness than the average of its kind or class. // a heavy child for his age

Q: When might 'ponderous' be a better fit than 'weighty'?

The synonyms ponderous and weighty are sometimes interchangeable, but ponderous implies having great weight because of size and massiveness with resulting great inertia. // ponderous elephants in a circus parade

weighty

adjective

ˈwā-tē

Definition of weighty

as in serious

having a matter of importance as its topic interrupted a weighty discussion with a silly question

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in important

having great meaning or lasting effect choosing a college is a weighty decision

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in massive

having great weight lifted the weighty sack and wondered what was in it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in solemn

not joking or playful in mood or manner the police office looked at me with a rather weighty expression

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in influential

having power over the minds or behavior of others one of the weightiest figures in the field of pediatric medicine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective weighty differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of weighty are cumbersome, cumbrous, heavy, and ponderous. While all these words mean "having great weight," weighty suggests having actual and not just relative weight.

a load of weighty boxes

How are the words cumbrous and cumbersome related as synonyms of weighty?

Both cumbrous and cumbersome imply heaviness and bulkiness that make for difficulty in grasping, moving, carrying, or manipulating.

wrestled with the cumbrous furniture

early cameras were cumbersome and inconvenient

When can heavy be used instead of weighty?

In some situations, the words heavy and weighty are roughly equivalent. However, heavy implies that something has greater density or thickness than the average of its kind or class.

a heavy child for his age

When might ponderous be a better fit than weighty?

The synonyms ponderous and weighty are sometimes interchangeable, but ponderous implies having great weight because of size and massiveness with resulting great inertia.

ponderous elephants in a circus parade

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of weighty The fantastical creatures might appeal to younger kids but the storyline hinges on a series of weighty emotional moments that can only be appreciated by teens and tweens. — Parents, 25 Sep. 2026 Unfortunately, the results, while splashily entertaining, feel helium-light instead of morally weighty, with each encounter at once high-stakes and emotionally obvious. — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2026 Hals was lively and irreverent; Rembrandt dealt with subjects altogether more weighty. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 18 Sep. 2026 But her series rarely, if ever, overburden their audience with the same weighty shift. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for weighty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for weighty

Adjective

Doctors of podiatric medicine (DPMs) treat all foot conditions ranging from toenails, bunions, fractures, and plantar fasciitis to serious diabetic foot complications that can lead to limb amputation.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
What began as a hobby to help explain complex redistricting cases more effectively has grown into a serious media operation.

— Max Tani, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of serious

Adjective

While a push east for Marib would get the Houthis the most resources, a southern push appears to be more strategically important for the time being.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
For decades, the European Union has led the world in implementing policies designed to cut emissions, creating the world’s most important price on carbon and crafting the rules of the road for a wide range of regulatory efforts.

— Justin Worland, Time, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of important

Adjective

On Monday, stand-up comedians on social media launched a massive awareness campaign to pressure one of their own, Sebastian Maniscalco, to reconsider recent programming decisions at his SiriusXM radio station, Sebastian Maniscalco’s Comedy Radio.

— Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2026
The whole story unfolds within a massive narrative arc that spans the roughly 20 years of the hunt for the Monster.

— Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of massive

Adjective

This production, solemn about our obligations to one another but committed to providing a good night out at the theater, is neither.

— Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026
Zack Wheeler pitched a gem against Tampa Bay on Sunday and untangled a few thousand knots inside the stomachs of Phillies fans, and even from those inside a mostly solemn clubhouse.

— CBS News, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of solemn

Adjective

Medellín is also home to influential streetwear brands inspired by the city’s reggaeton culture.

— Nikkita Nair, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Anarchism was unequivocally a powerful organizing force in Italian communities and an influential force in labor politics.

— Ed Simon, JSTOR Daily, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of influential

Adjective

Wildfires encroached on major European cities, a once unthinkable threat.

— Justin Worland, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
These five rising, behind-the-scenes maestros have worked on major hits for such likely 2027 contenders as Noah Kahan, Ariana Grande and Rosalía — and could be first-time nominees in the category.

— Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of major

Adjective

Researchers have developed a paper-thin foot membrane that lets crawling microrobots harvest electricity directly from the ground beneath them, ditching heavy onboard batteries by turning metal and silicon surfaces into an active power source.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026
That means its worst wind, heavy rain, storm surge and tornado threats will be along and to the east of where its center tracks.

— Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of heavy

Adjective

Preliminary information indicates that the explosion occurred near the vessel’s stern deck, resulting in limited damage, a police spokesperson said in a statement.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
As the Pacific Princess’ Captain Stubing, Gavin MacLeod played the stern yet beloved authority figure better than many might’ve expected, given how closely he’d become associated with comedy by that point.

— Will Harris, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of stern

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“Weighty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weighty. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of weighty

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