Ask Difference

Heavily vs. Heavy — What's the Difference?

By Fiza Rafique & Urooj Arif — Updated on April 8, 2024
Heavily describes the manner of something being done, while heavy is an adjective describing an object's weight.
Heavily vs. Heavy — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Heavily and Heavy

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Key Differences

Heavily is an adverb that modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, indicating a large degree or intensity of action. For instance, it can describe the way it rains when a storm produces a lot of rainfall quickly. Whereas heavy, an adjective, describes a characteristic of nouns, such as objects or concepts, indicating they have a great weight or density. A heavy object is difficult to lift because of its mass.
While heavily might be used to describe actions or states in a metaphorical sense, such as being heavily involved in a project, heavy directly describes the tangible or intangible nature of items, like a heavy burden of responsibility. Heavily adds depth to descriptions of how actions are performed or the extent of conditions, whereas heavy quantifies the magnitude or impact of a noun's characteristic.
In writing and speech, heavily can enhance a verb to convey the severity or intensity of an action, such as breathing heavily after a run, emphasizing the effect of the action. On the other hand, heavy might be used to describe the physical demand or emotional weight of something, such as a heavy box or a heavy heart, focusing on the inherent quality of the noun.
Heavily is versatile and can apply to a wide range of contexts, from physical actions to emotional states, always modifying how something is done or felt. In contrast, heavy is more specific to the characteristic it describes, whether it be physical weight, emotional depth, or severity of a situation.
Though both heavily and heavy relate to the idea of a great amount or degree, their usage depends on the part of speech they are modifying. Heavily modifies how things are done, showing the manner or degree, while heavy describes the inherent qualities of the nouns it modifies.
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Comparison Chart

Part of Speech

Adverb
Adjective

Function

Modifies verbs, adjectives, other adverbs
Describes nouns

Examples

Heavily raining, heavily involved
Heavy rain, heavy burden

Contexts

Describes manner or intensity
Describes weight, importance, or difficulty

Usage

To indicate a large degree or intensity
To describe the characteristic of being of great weight or dense

Compare with Definitions

Heavily

To a great degree or in large amounts.
It rained heavily throughout the night.

Heavy

Having a great weight; difficult to lift or move.
The heavy box was difficult to carry upstairs.

Heavily

In a manner that produces a great effect.
The news impacted him heavily.

Heavy

Burdened with problems or difficulties.
He felt heavy with worry about the future.

Heavily

Severely or seriously.
The company is heavily invested in renewable energy.

Heavy

Of great density; thick or substantial.
The fog was so heavy that visibility was near zero.

Heavily

With much weight or burden.
He was heavily laden with groceries.

Heavy

Severe or intense.
The debate has generated heavy criticism.

Heavily

With a lot of force or effort.
She breathed heavily after climbing the stairs.

Heavy

Profound or substantial in impact or quality.
The novel left a heavy impression on its readers.

Heavily

With a great weight or burden
Heavily laden.

Heavy

Of great weight; difficult to lift or move
A heavy and bulky load
The pan was too heavy for me to carry

Heavily

Very slowly and with difficulty; laboriously
Walking heavily through the snow.

Heavy

Of great density; thick or substantial
Heavy horn-rimmed glasses
Heavy grey clouds

Heavily

Greatly or severely
Heavily in debt.

Heavy

Of more than the usual size, amount, or intensity
A heavy cold
I fell into a heavy sleep
The traffic was heavy and I was delayed

Heavily

In a heavy manner.
She fell heavily into bed.
He clomped heavily up the stairs in his boots.
The great clod trod heavily on my toes!

Heavy

Striking or falling with force
A heavy blow to the head
We had heavy overnight rain

Heavily

With a great weight.
Heavily burdened

Heavy

Needing much physical effort
Heavy work like repairing pathways

Heavily

To a considerable degree, to a great extent.
He relied heavily on the data collected by the others.
He drank heavily.
Heavily in debt;
Heavily tattooed
Heavily pregnant

Heavy

Very important or serious
A heavy discussion

Heavily

In a manner designed for heavy duty.
Heavily armed soldiers;
Heavily armoured tanks;
Heavily reinforced walls

Heavy

A thing, such as a vehicle, that is large or heavy of its kind.

Heavily

So as to be thick or heavy.
Heavily built young men;
His heavily muscled arms

Heavy

Strong beer, especially bitter
A pint of heavy

Heavily

In a laboured manner.
He breathed heavily

Heavy

Heavily
Heavy-laden

Heavily

In a heavy manner; with great weight; as, to bear heavily on a thing; to be heavily loaded.
Heavily interested in those schemes of emigration.

Heavy

Having relatively great weight
A heavy load.

Heavily

As if burdened with a great weight; slowly and laboriously; with difficulty; hence, in a slow, difficult, or suffering manner; sorrowfully.
And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily.
Why looks your grace so heavily to-day?

Heavy

Having relatively high density; having a high specific gravity.

Heavily

Greatly; intensely; as, heavily involved in a plot; heavily invested in real estate.

Heavy

Large, as in number or quantity
A heavy turnout.
Heavy casualties.

Heavily

In large quantity; as, it rained heavily.

Heavy

Large in yield or output
Heavy rainfall.

Heavily

To a considerable degree;
He relied heavily on others' data

Heavy

Of great intensity
Heavy activity.
Heavy fighting.

Heavily

In a heavy-footed manner;
He walked heavily up the three flights to his room

Heavy

Having great power or force
A heavy punch.

Heavily

With great force;
She hit her arm heavily against the wall

Heavy

Violent; rough
Heavy seas.

Heavily

In a manner designed for heavy duty;
A heavily constructed car
Heavily armed

Heavy

Equipped with massive armaments and weapons
A heavy cruiser.
Heavy infantry.

Heavily

Slowly as if burdened by much weight;
Time hung heavy on their hands

Heavy

Large enough to fire powerful shells
Heavy guns.

Heavily

Indulging excessively;
He drank heavily

Heavy

Indulging to a great degree
A heavy drinker.

Heavy

Involved or participating on a large scale
A heavy investor.

Heavy

Of great import or seriousness; grave
Heavy matters of state.

Heavy

Having considerable thickness
A heavy coat.

Heavy

Broad or coarse
Drew the face with heavy lines.

Heavy

Dense; thick
A heavy fog.

Heavy

Slow to dissipate; strong
"There was a heavy fragrance of flowers and lemon trees" (Mario Puzo).

Heavy

Too dense or rich to digest easily
A heavy dessert.

Heavy

Insufficiently leavened
Heavy bread.

Heavy

Full of clay and readily saturated
Heavy soil.

Heavy

Weighed down; burdened
Trees heavy with plums.

Heavy

Emotionally weighed down; despondent
A heavy heart.

Heavy

Marked by or exhibiting weariness
Heavy lids.

Heavy

Sad or painful
Heavy news.

Heavy

Hard to do or accomplish; arduous
Heavy going.
Heavy reading.

Heavy

Not easily borne; oppressive
Heavy taxes.

Heavy

Lacking vitality; deficient in vivacity or grace
A heavy gait.
Heavy humor.

Heavy

Sharply inclined; steep
A heavy grade.

Heavy

Having a large capacity or designed for rough work
A heavy truck.

Heavy

Of, relating to, or involving the large-scale production of basic products, such as steel
Heavy industry.

Heavy

Of or relating to a serious dramatic role.

Heavy

(Physics) Of or relating to an isotope with an atomic mass greater than the average mass of that element.

Heavy

Loud; sonorous
A heavy sound.
Heavy breathing.

Heavy

(Linguistics) Of, relating to, or being a syllable ending in a long vowel or in a vowel plus two consonants.

Heavy

Of great significance or profundity.

Heavy

Very popular or important
A rock star who is really heavy.

Heavy

Heavily
The snow is falling heavier tonight than last night.

Heavy

A serious or tragic role in a play.

Heavy

An actor playing such a role.

Heavy

(Slang) A villain in a story or play.

Heavy

(Slang) A mobster.

Heavy

(Slang) One that is very important or influential
A media heavy.

Heavy

(of a physical object) Having great weight.

Heavy

(of a topic) Serious, somber.

Heavy

Not easy to bear; burdensome; oppressive.
Heavy yokes, expenses, undertakings, trials, news, etc.

Heavy

Good.
This film is heavy.

Heavy

Profound.
The Moody Blues are, like, heavy.

Heavy

(of a rate of flow) High, great.

Heavy

(slang) Armed.
Come heavy, or not at all.

Heavy

(of music) Loud, distorted, or intense.
Metal is heavier than rock.

Heavy

(of weather) Hot and humid.

Heavy

(of a person) Doing the specified activity more intensely than most other people.
He was a heavy sleeper, a heavy eater and a heavy smoker – certainly not an ideal husband.

Heavy

(of the eyes) With eyelids difficult to keep open due to tiredness.

Heavy

(of food) High in fat or protein; difficult to digest.
Cheese-stuffed sausage is too heavy to eat before exercising.

Heavy

Of great force, power, or intensity; deep or intense.
It was a heavy storm;
A heavy slumber in bed;
A heavy punch

Heavy

Laden to a great extent.
His eyes were heavy with sleep;
She was heavy with child

Heavy

Laden with that which is weighty; encumbered; burdened; bowed down, either with an actual burden, or with grief, pain, disappointment, etc.

Heavy

Slow; sluggish; inactive; or lifeless, dull, inanimate, stupid.
A heavy gait, looks, manners, style, etc.
A heavy writer or book

Heavy

Impeding motion; cloggy; clayey.
A heavy road; a heavy soil

Heavy

Not raised or leavened.
Heavy bread

Heavy

(of wines or spirits) Having much body or strength.

Heavy

(obsolete) With child; pregnant.

Heavy

(physics) Containing one or more isotopes that are heavier than the normal one.

Heavy

(petroleum) Having high viscosity.

Heavy

(finance) Of a market: in which the price of shares is declining.

Heavy

Heavily-armed.

Heavy

Having a relatively high takeoff weight and payload,

Heavy

Especially, having a maximum takeoff weight exceeding 300,000 tons, as almost all widebodies do, generating high wake turbulence.

Heavy

Having the heaves.
A heavy horse

Heavy

In a heavy manner; weightily; heavily; gravely.
Heavy laden with their sins

Heavy

To a great degree; greatly.

Heavy

Very

Heavy

(slang) A villain or bad guy; the one responsible for evil or aggressive acts.
With his wrinkled, uneven face, the actor always seemed to play the heavy in films.

Heavy

(slang) A doorman, bouncer or bodyguard.
A fight started outside the bar but the heavies came out and stopped it.

Heavy

A newspaper of the quality press.

Heavy

(aviation) A relatively large multi-engined aircraft.

Heavy

(often with "up") To make heavier.
They piled their goods on the donkey's back, heavying up an already backbreaking load.

Heavy

To sadden. en

Heavy

To use power or wealth to exert influence on, e.g., governments or corporations; to pressure.
The union was well known for the methods it used to heavy many businesses.

Heavy

Having the heaves.

Heavy

Heaved or lifted with labor; not light; weighty; ponderous; as, a heavy stone; hence, sometimes, large in extent, quantity, or effects; as, a heavy fall of rain or snow; a heavy failure; heavy business transactions, etc.; often implying strength; as, a heavy barrier; also, difficult to move; as, a heavy draught.

Heavy

Not easy to bear; burdensome; oppressive; hard to endure or accomplish; hence, grievous, afflictive; as, heavy yokes, expenses, undertakings, trials, news, etc.
The hand of the Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod.
The king himself hath a heavy reckoning to make.
Sent hither to impart the heavy news.
Trust him not in matter of heavy consequence.

Heavy

Laden with that which is weighty; encumbered; burdened; bowed down, either with an actual burden, or with care, grief, pain, disappointment.
The heavy [sorrowing] nobles all in council were.
A light wife doth make a heavy husband.

Heavy

Slow; sluggish; inactive; or lifeless, dull, inanimate, stupid; as, a heavy gait, looks, manners, style, and the like; a heavy writer or book.
Whilst the heavy plowman snores.
Of a heavy, dull, degenerate mind.
Neither [is] his ear heavy, that it can not hear.

Heavy

Strong; violent; forcible; as, a heavy sea, storm, cannonade, and the like.

Heavy

Loud; deep; - said of sound; as, heavy thunder.
But, hark! that heavy sound breaks in once more.

Heavy

Dark with clouds, or ready to rain; gloomy; - said of the sky.

Heavy

Impeding motion; cloggy; clayey; - said of earth; as, a heavy road, soil, and the like.

Heavy

Not raised or made light; as, heavy bread.

Heavy

Not agreeable to, or suitable for, the stomach; not easily digested; - said of food.

Heavy

Having much body or strength; - said of wines, or other liquors.

Heavy

With child; pregnant.

Heavy

Heavily; - sometimes used in composition; as, heavy-laden.

Heavy

To make heavy.

Heavy

An actor who plays villainous roles

Heavy

A serious (or tragic) role in a play

Heavy

Of comparatively great physical weight or density;
A heavy load
Lead is a heavy metal
Heavy mahogony furniture

Heavy

Unusually great in degree or quantity or number;
Heavy taxes
A heavy fine
Heavy casualties
Heavy losses
Heavy rain
Heavy traffic

Heavy

Of the military or industry; using (or being) the heaviest and most powerful armaments or weapons or equipment;
Heavy artillery
Heavy infantry
A heavy cruiser
Heavy guns
Heavy industry involves large-scale production of basic products (such as steel) used by other industries

Heavy

Having or suggesting a viscous consistency;
Heavy cream

Heavy

Wide from side to side;
A heavy black mark

Heavy

Marked by great psychological weight; weighted down especially with sadness or troubles or weariness;
A heavy heart
A heavy schedule
Heavy news
A heavy silence
Heavy eyelids

Heavy

Usually describes a large person who is fat but has a large frame to carry it

Heavy

(used of soil) compact and fine-grained;
The clayey soil was heavy and easily saturated

Heavy

Darkened by clouds;
A heavy sky

Heavy

Of great intensity or power or force;
A heavy blow
The fighting was heavy
Heavy seas

Heavy

(physics, chemistry) being or containing an isotope with greater than average atomic mass or weight;
Heavy hydrogen
Heavy water

Heavy

(of an actor or role) being or playing the villain;
Iago is the heavy role in `Othello'

Heavy

Permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter;
Dense smoke
Heavy fog
Impenetrable gloom

Heavy

Made of fabric having considerable thickness;
A heavy coat

Heavy

Of a drinker or drinking; indulging intemperately;
Does a lot of hard drinking
A heavy drinker

Heavy

Prodigious;
Big spender
Big eater
Heavy investor

Heavy

Used of syllables or musical beats

Heavy

Full and loud and deep;
Heavy sounds
A herald chosen for his sonorous voice

Heavy

Of great gravity or crucial import; requiring serious thought;
Grave responsibilities
Faced a grave decision in a time of crisis
A grievous fault
Heavy matters of state
The weighty matters to be discussed at the peace conference

Heavy

Slow and laborious because of weight;
The heavy tread of tired troops
Moved with a lumbering sag-bellied trot
Ponderous prehistoric beasts
A ponderous yawn

Heavy

Large and powerful; especially designed for heavy loads or rough work;
A heavy truck
Heavy machinery

Heavy

Dense or inadequately leavened and hence likely to cause distress in the alimentary canal;
A heavy pudding

Heavy

Sharply inclined;
A heavy grade

Heavy

Full of; bearing great weight;
Trees heavy with fruit
Vines weighed down with grapes

Heavy

Requiring or showing effort;
Heavy breathing
The subject made for labored reading

Heavy

Characterized by toilsome effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort;
Worked their arduous way up the mining valley
A grueling campaign
Hard labor
Heavy work
Heavy going
Spent many laborious hours on the project
Set a punishing pace

Heavy

Lacking lightness or liveliness;
Heavy humor
A leaden conversation

Heavy

(of sleep) deep and complete;
A heavy sleep
Fell into a profound sleep
A sound sleeper
Deep wakeless sleep

Heavy

In an advanced stage of pregnancy;
Was big with child
Was great with child

Heavy

Slowly as if burdened by much weight;
Time hung heavy on their hands

Common Curiosities

What does it mean when something is described as heavy?

Describing something as heavy implies it has a great weight, density, or emotional or situational burden.

What types of words does heavily modify?

Heavily modifies verbs to indicate the manner of an action, adjectives to enhance their degree, and other adverbs to intensify their meaning.

Can heavy and heavily be used interchangeably?

No, because they serve different grammatical functions. Heavy modifies nouns, and heavily modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

What is the difference between heavily and heavy?

Heavily is an adverb that describes the manner or degree of an action, while heavy is an adjective that describes the characteristic of having great weight or impact.

Can heavy be used in a non-physical sense?

Yes, heavy can describe non-physical attributes, such as a heavy heart (emotional burden) or heavy criticism (intense scrutiny).

Is heavily always related to negative contexts?

Not always. While it often describes intense or severe actions, it can be neutral or positive depending on context, such as heavily decorated.

How does the use of heavily or heavy affect descriptive writing?

Using heavily or heavy can enhance descriptive writing by adding depth to actions and qualities, making descriptions more vivid and impactful.

How does heavily impact the meaning of a sentence?

Heavily adds intensity or depth to an action, indicating a great degree or effort involved in the manner described.

Can heavy imply something other than physical weight?

Yes, heavy can also imply seriousness, intensity, or a significant impact in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

In what contexts would you use heavy instead of heavily?

Use heavy when describing the inherent characteristics of nouns, such as their weight, density, or emotional impact, and heavily when modifying the manner or intensity of actions or states.

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Author Spotlight

Written by
Fiza Rafique
Fiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj Arif
Urooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.

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