heaviness
/ˈhevinəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhevinəs/ (ame, ipa) · /-vēnə̇s, -vin-/ (ame, mw)
heaviness — 名詞
1. the property a physical object has when it pulls down hard on whatever holds it,
沉重；重量
物體重得吃力搬動的性質
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.
Ada 一邊走上山坡，一邊抱怨新冬大衣的沉重。
the heaviness of [noun] for a physical object
The heaviness of the marble countertop meant four workers were needed to carry it inside.
那塊大理石檯面太沉重，需要四個工人才能抬進屋裡。
inanimate subject with a concrete object
Kenji could feel the heaviness of his backpack pressing into his shoulders after the long hike.
走了那麼久的山路後，Kenji 感覺得到背包的重量壓在肩膀上。
Movers tested the heaviness of each box before deciding which truck to load it onto.
搬家工人會先試試每個箱子的重量，再決定要裝上哪一台車。
There was a surprising heaviness to the small iron statue Beatriz lifted from the shelf.
Beatriz 從架上拿起那座小鐵像時，感受到一股意外的沉重。
- 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
猛烈；大量
雨、車流等發生程度超出平常
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.
週六下午雨勢過於猛烈，Iris 只好取消學校的野餐。
collocation: the heaviness of the rain
Drivers on the bridge complained about the heaviness of traffic during the festival weekend.
節慶週末橋上車流非常大量，駕駛人怨聲載道。
collocation: the heaviness of traffic
Doctors warned Caleb that the heaviness of his drinking was damaging his liver.
醫生警告 Caleb，他過量飲酒已經傷害到肝臟。
Farmers worried about the heaviness of the snowfall and what it would do to the wheat fields.
農民擔心積雪過於厚重，會影響到麥田的收成。
- 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
沉悶
作品嚴肅難讀、缺乏輕鬆趣味
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.
評論者一致認為，這部小說開頭幾章的沉悶會讓多數一般讀者打退堂鼓。
the heaviness of [a creative work]
Joaquín loved the film's themes but found the heaviness of its three-hour dialogue exhausting.
Joaquín 喜歡這部電影的主題，但覺得三小時對白的沉悶令人疲乏。
Reviewers praised the play's ideas yet criticised the heaviness of its long political speeches.
劇評家肯定該劇的思想，卻批評其中冗長政治演說的沉悶。
Editors at the magazine asked Erik to cut the heaviness from his essay by adding lighter examples.
雜誌編輯請 Erik 在散文裡多加一些輕鬆的例子，去掉那種沉悶感。
- 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
鬱悶；哀痛
如重物壓在胸口的深沉悲傷
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.
祖母的告別式之後，Amihan 胸口的鬱悶好幾個星期都揮之不去。
a heaviness in [body part] after loss
Andrew described the heaviness of grief as something that returned each evening when the house went quiet.
Andrew 形容那份哀痛就像每到傍晚屋裡安靜下來就會回來的東西。
the heaviness of grief
A strange heaviness settled over Zayd as he read his father's last letter aloud to the family.
Zayd 對著家人朗讀父親最後一封信時，一股奇異的鬱悶湧上心頭。
Therapists at the clinic helped Sivan name the heaviness she had carried since the accident.
診所的治療師幫助 Sivan 為車禍以來一直承受的那份鬱悶找到名字。
- 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.