ponderous

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈpɑn.dɚ.əs/ UK /ˈpɒn.dəɹ.əs/ See IPA manual

Freq #62150

Meanings

1

adj
Slow and heavy, moving in a clumsy way because of great weight.

The elephant made its ponderous way down to the river.
2

adj
Dull and boring, especially because it is long and overly serious.

His ponderous speech put half the audience to sleep.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · slow and heavy, moving in a... heavy massivelumbering

Word family

Derived forms equiponderousnonponderousoverponderousponderouslyponderousnessunponderous

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

ponderous stone
a piece of rock made awkward to move by its great weight

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Ponderous, recorded in late Middle English with the meaning “weighty,” comes from the same Latin root as pensive: pendere, “to weigh.”

Etymology

Ultimately from Latin ponderōsus (“weighty”).

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# ponderous

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈpɑn.dɚ.əs/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpɒn.dəɹ.əs/
**Frequency rank:** 62150

## Meanings
1. Slow and heavy, moving in a clumsy way because of great weight.
2. Dull and boring, especially because it is long and overly serious.

## Examples
- The elephant made its ponderous way down to the river.
- His ponderous speech put half the audience to sleep.

## Derived Forms
- equiponderous
- nonponderous
- overponderous
- ponderously
- ponderousness
- unponderous

## Etymology
Ultimately from Latin ponderōsus (“weighty”).

## AI Etymology
Ponderous is ultimately from Latin ponderōsus (“weighty”). Current senses include slow and heavy, moving in a clumsy way because of great weight and dull and boring, especially because it is long and overly serious. The wider family includes derived forms such as equiponderous, nonponderous, overponderous, ponderously, and ponderousness.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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