adj
C2
Proficient
ponderous
Ponderous (adj) means Very heavy in weight.
adj
1
Very heavy in weight.
"The great elephant, when the cage was being placed, would, at a signal from its keeper, place its ponderous head against one side of the cage and push."
— Edgar B. P. Darlington (1920)
2
Very serious and difficult to deal with.
"For the time, her own body was the source of all the life in the world, which tried to burst forth here—there—and was repressed now by Mr. Bax, now by Evelyn, now by the imposition of ponderous stupidity."
— Virginia Woolf (1915)
3
Awkward and slow to move, often because of its weight.
"Following his steps . . . came two elderly women of the lower middle class, one stout and ponderous, the other rosy cheeked and nimble."
— Virginia Woolf, Kew Gardens (1919)
4
Boring and tediously drawn out, especially in the way something is said.
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Etymology
Traces back ultimately to Latin ponderōsus (“weighty”).
Related words
Rhymes for ponderous
See all rhymes for ponderous →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of ponderous?
"ponderous" (adj) means very heavy in weight.
What is another word for ponderous?
Other words for "ponderous" include lumbering, heavy.
What is the opposite of ponderous?
Opposites of "ponderous" include light, zippy, agile.
What are the different meanings of ponderous?
"ponderous" has 3 main meanings: 1. Very heavy in weight; 2. Very serious and difficult to deal with; 3. Awkward and slow to move, often because of its weight.
