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

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."

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."

Physically strong, muscular, and powerfully built, said of a person.

"A hefty security guard blocked the doorway."

How to use hefty

Learner’s notes

In 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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He carried a _____ stack of textbooks under one arm.

Etymology

From "heft" (weight, heaviness) plus the adjective ending "-y", dating to the 1800s.

· First attested 1800

Class of 1800 hefty joined the language around 1800.

alcohol Aryan Australia availability bah

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Rhymes for hefty

lefty

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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.