Hefty

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Hefty

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

adjective

Pronunciation

HEF-tee  /ˈhɛfti/

Definition

Large and heavy; of considerable size, power, or weight; (of a price, fine, or charge) large and burdensome; (of a person) large and powerfully built.

Plain meaning

Hefty means large and substantial — a hefty price, a hefty fine, a hefty bag, a hefty person. It implies size that is notable and often somewhat burdensome. A hefty salary is impressively large; a hefty bill is unpleasantly large.

Register

Informal to neutral. Hefty is a vivid, concrete word for substantial size or weight. It is widely used in journalism, everyday speech, and informal writing. A hefty price tag, a hefty sentence, a hefty fine: each uses hefty to indicate notable and often burdensome size.