# heavy lifting

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/heavy-lifting
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

The most demanding part of an endeavour; work requiring the most effort, resources, or consideration.

## Examples

- He does the heavy lifting for our team.
- While everyone helped with the planning, she did the heavy lifting by writing the entire report.
- Although the partners shared the initial vision, the junior associate performed the heavy lifting required to secure the necessary funding for the project.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.