weighty

C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ˈweɪ.ti/ UK /ˈweɪ.ti/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
heavy, or of great seriousness, importance, or influence

They turned to weighty matters of policy after the formalities.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · heavy, or of great... heavy serious important significant grave momentous substantial

Opposites

light trivial insignificant frivolous unimportant

Word family

Derived forms weightinessweightily

Related forms weight weigh weightiness

Etymology

From Middle English weighty, from weight + -y, ultimately from Old English wiht ('weight') and the verb wegan ('to carry, weigh').

wegan Old English *weǵʰ- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives

# weighty

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˈweɪ.ti
**IPA (UK):** ˈweɪ.ti

## Meanings
1. heavy, or of great seriousness, importance, or influence

## Examples
- They turned to weighty matters of policy after the formalities.

## Synonyms
- heavy
- serious
- important
- significant
- grave
- momentous
- substantial

## Antonyms
- light
- trivial
- insignificant
- frivolous
- unimportant

## Derived Forms
- weightiness
- weightily

## Related Forms
- weight
- weigh
- weightiness

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: wegan
- Root: *weǵʰ-

## Etymology
From Middle English weighty, from weight + -y, ultimately from Old English wiht ('weight') and the verb wegan ('to carry, weigh').

## AI Etymology
Weighty comes from Middle English weighty, from weight + -y, ultimately from Old English wiht ('weight') and the verb wegan ('to carry, weigh'). In current use it is an adjective meaning "heavy, or of great seriousness, importance, or influence". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The surface form is compositional: its joined elements remain visible in the modern word. The historical chain includes Old English wegan and Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ-. Related English forms include weight, weigh, and weightiness. Derived forms include weightiness and weightily. The word's history is thus visible in its construction: the components remain interpretable even after the whole expression has settled into a conventional English meaning.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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