US /ˈhɛvɪli/
adv Freq #2711

Meanings

  1. 1
    adv

    To a great degree; very much.

    The researchers relied heavily on others' data.

  2. 2
    adv

    With a lot of force or weight.

    They hit their arm heavily against the wall.

  3. 3
    adv

    In a slow, hard, or tired way.

    I breathed heavily after the workout.

  4. 4
    adv

    In a way that involves too much of something.

    He had been drinking heavily for years.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 adv · to a great degree; very much. far
4 adv · in a way that involves too... hard
Word family
Derived forms unheavily

Etymology

From Middle English hevely, hevyliche, from Old English hefiġlīċe (“heavily; grievously”), equivalent to heavy + -ly.

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