heavily
11 synonyms and 1 antonym for heavily, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adv — To a great degree or extent.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
intemperately
to a great extent
Antonyms
How to use heavily
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
rely heavily on
rain heavily
breathe heavily
Etymology
Came from Middle English hevely, hevyliche, which developed from Old English hefiġlīċe (“heavily; grievously”); it is equivalent to heavy plus -ly.
Full origin of heavily →Frequently asked questions
What does “heavily” mean?
The word “heavily” means to a great degree or extent. In plain terms, to a large extent, or with a lot of weight/force.
How do you pronounce “heavily”?
“Heavily” is pronounced HEH-vih-lee (/ˈhɛvɪli/ in IPA).
How do you use “heavily” in a sentence?
Here is “heavily” used in a sentence: “It rained heavily all weekend.”
What part of speech is “heavily”?
“Heavily” is an adverb.
Is “heavily” a common word?
“Heavily” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “heavily” have?
“Heavily” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to a great degree or extent.
What is the difference between heavily and heavy?
'Heavy' is an adjective that describes nouns — a heavy box. 'Heavily' is the adverb that describes verbs, actions, or degree — it rained heavily, she relied heavily on him. Use 'heavily' to say how much or to what degree something happens, not to describe how much a thing weighs.
What are common ways 'heavily' is used?
It often intensifies verbs and adjectives: raining heavily, breathing heavily, drinking heavily, heavily armed, heavily influenced, and relying heavily on someone. In each case it means 'to a great degree'. It commonly pairs with words about dependence, weather, quantity, and physical effort, adding force or intensity to them.
Does 'heavily' always relate to weight?
No. Although it comes from 'heavy', 'heavily' usually means 'to a great degree', not literal weight. 'He was heavily involved in the project' has nothing to do with mass. Only in phrases like 'she sat down heavily' does it still suggest weight, force, or a sense of heaviness.
