adjective
Uncommon
hefty
HEHF-tee
Hefty (adjective) means Large, heavy, and solidly built; substantial in size or weight. Example: “He carried a hefty stack of textbooks under one arm.”
adjective
1
Large, heavy, and solidly built; substantial in size or weight.
"He carried a hefty stack of textbooks under one arm."
"The gym bag felt hefty once she packed the weights in."
2
Larger than usual in amount, especially of a cost, fine, or sum of money.
"They were slapped with a hefty fine for the late filing."
"Repairing the roof came with a hefty price tag."
3
Physically strong, muscular, and powerfully built, said of a person.
"A hefty security guard blocked the doorway."
How to use hefty
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishBig and heavy — used for objects, people, or (informally) large amounts of money.
Common pairings
hefty price
hefty fine
hefty sum
hefty build
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Word forms
- Comparative
- heftier
- Superlative
- heftiest
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
He carried a _____ stack of textbooks under one arm.
Etymology
From "heft" (weight, heaviness) plus the adjective ending "-y", dating to the 1800s.
Class of 1800
hefty joined the language around 1800.
See the full Class of 1800 →
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for hefty
See all rhymes for hefty →Frequently asked questions
What does “hefty” mean?
The word “hefty” means large, heavy, and solidly built; substantial in size or weight. In plain terms, big and heavy — used for objects, people, or (informally) large amounts of money.
How do you pronounce “hefty”?
“Hefty” is pronounced HEHF-tee (/ˈhɛfti/ in IPA).
How do you use “hefty” in a sentence?
Here is “hefty” used in a sentence: “He carried a hefty stack of textbooks under one arm.”
What part of speech is “hefty”?
“Hefty” is an adjective.
Where does the word “hefty” come from?
The word “hefty” dates back to around 1800. From "heft" (weight, heaviness) plus the adjective ending "-y", dating to the 1800s.
Is “hefty” a common word?
“Hefty” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “hefty” have?
“Hefty” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: large, heavy, and solidly built; substantial in size or weight.
