# heavyweight

/ˈhɛviˌweɪt/ (US) · /hˈɛviwˌeɪt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/heavyweight
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. combat sports

noun · CEFR B2

a boxer or fighter in the heaviest weight class.

For teachers: a competitor in the heaviest weight division of a combat sport, typically exceeding 200 pounds in professional boxing.

- The heavyweight champion defended his title in a match that lasted twelve rounds.
- The heavyweight division remains the most commercially lucrative category in professional boxing, often drawing global audiences for title unification bouts.

### 2. an influential person

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

a person who has a lot of power, influence, or importance in a specific area.

For teachers: an individual of great influence, importance, or intellectual ability within a particular field.

- She is a political heavyweight who has served in the government for thirty years.
- The conference featured several intellectual heavyweights who debated the future of global economic policy for over three hours.

### 3. important or powerful

adjective · CEFR B2

having a lot of influence or being very serious and important.

For teachers: possessing great power, influence, or significance; often used to describe companies, politicians, or serious topics.

- The two heavyweight companies decided to join together to dominate the market.
- The prime minister faced heavyweight opposition from within his own party regarding the new environmental regulations.

### 4. physically heavy

adjective · CEFR B2

made of thick or heavy material.

For teachers: constructed from or consisting of material that is relatively heavy or dense.

- You should wear a heavyweight coat if you are going out in the snow.
- The curtains were made of a heavyweight velvet designed to block out all external light and dampen street noise.

## Examples

- The company is a heavyweight in the tech industry.
- As a political heavyweight, her endorsement is enough to change the course of the entire election.
- The merger of the two pharmaceutical heavyweights created a global entity with enough capital to dominate the research and development of new vaccines for decades.

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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.