adjective
hefty
HEHF-tee
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
Word Forms
heftier comparative, Heftys plural, heftiest superlative
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Etymology
From "heft" (weight, heaviness) plus the adjective ending "-y", dating to the 1800s.