heaviness
/ˈhevinəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhevinəs/ (ame, ipa) · /-vēnə̇s, -vin-/ (ame, mw)
heaviness — noun
1. the property a physical object has when it pulls down hard on whatever holds it,
the property a physical object has when it pulls down hard on whatever holds it, making it tiring to lift or carry.
Ada complained about the heaviness of her new winter coat as she walked up the hill.
the heaviness of [noun] for a physical object
The heaviness of the marble countertop meant four workers were needed to carry it inside.
inanimate subject with a concrete object
Kenji could feel the heaviness of his backpack pressing into his shoulders after the long hike.
Movers tested the heaviness of each box before deciding which truck to load it onto.
There was a surprising heaviness to the small iron statue Beatriz lifted from the shelf.
- weight
much more common; 'weight' is neutral, 'heaviness' emphasises that the weight feels burdensome.
- weightiness
rare and slightly literary in the physical sense.
- lightness
the everyday opposite for physical weight.
文法句型
the heaviness of [noun]
用法筆記
Almost always uncountable; the common pattern is 'the heaviness of X' where X is the heavy object.
常見錯誤
2. the fact that something is happening at a much greater rate or amount than is no
the fact that something is happening at a much greater rate or amount than is normal, such as rain pouring down, traffic flowing thickly, or drinking being done in large quantities.
The heaviness of the rain forced Iris to cancel the school picnic on Saturday afternoon.
collocation: the heaviness of the rain
Drivers on the bridge complained about the heaviness of traffic during the festival weekend.
collocation: the heaviness of traffic
Doctors warned Caleb that the heaviness of his drinking was damaging his liver.
Farmers worried about the heaviness of the snowfall and what it would do to the wheat fields.
- lightness
as in 'light rain' / 'light traffic'.
文法句型
the heaviness of [noun: rain, traffic, drinking, etc.]
用法筆記
Always paired with a noun naming an activity or natural phenomenon whose volume or rate can vary; never a one-off event.
常見錯誤
3. a quality in writing, art, or speech that makes it feel solemn and hard work to
a quality in writing, art, or speech that makes it feel solemn and hard work to follow, with little wit or easy charm to balance the serious tone.
Critics agreed the heaviness of the novel's opening chapters would put off most casual readers.
the heaviness of [a creative work]
Joaquín loved the film's themes but found the heaviness of its three-hour dialogue exhausting.
Reviewers praised the play's ideas yet criticised the heaviness of its long political speeches.
Editors at the magazine asked Erik to cut the heaviness from his essay by adding lighter examples.
- ponderousness
more formal; emphasises slow, plodding pace as well as serious tone.
- solemnity
neutral or positive; lacks the criticism that 'heaviness' carries here.
文法句型
the heaviness of [book / film / style / prose]
用法筆記
Almost always applied to extended creative work (books, plays, films, prose) rather than a single sentence; tends to be a negative critical judgement.
4. a strong, lingering sadness that feels like something physically weighing on the
a strong, lingering sadness that feels like something physically weighing on the heart or chest, the way grief, regret, or worry settle inside a person.
After her grandmother's funeral, Amihan could not shake the heaviness in her chest for weeks.
a heaviness in [body part] after loss
Andrew described the heaviness of grief as something that returned each evening when the house went quiet.
the heaviness of grief
A strange heaviness settled over Zayd as he read his father's last letter aloud to the family.
Therapists at the clinic helped Sivan name the heaviness she had carried since the accident.
- sorrow
more direct; names the emotion rather than its bodily feel.
- melancholy
longer-lasting, more reflective; less tied to a specific loss.
文法句型
a heaviness in [body part]
the heaviness of [grief / loss]
用法筆記
Often paired with verbs of bodily sensation ('feel', 'settle over', 'carry') rather than verbs of thought; the metaphor is physical weight on the chest or heart.