heft

1 of 2

noun

1
2
archaic : the greater part of something : bulk

heft

2 of 2

verb

hefted; hefting; hefts

transitive verb

1
: to heave up : hoist
2
: to test the weight of by lifting
hefting the rod … to get the feel of itConsumer Reports

Examples of heft in a Sentence

Noun the heft of a good hammer some synthetic fabrics are nice and warm, but I prefer wool because it has more heft Verb hefted his growing son onto his shoulders heft your baggy gym shorts a little higher—you're showing us more than we care to see
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Roast red peppers, caramelize some onions, wilt some spinach, or brown some mushrooms for more heft and flavor. Julia Levy, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2024 The result was a veneer of democracy that had all the trappings of participatory politics — elections, a functioning Parliament, political parties — but none of the heft. Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024 This rationale is sound, especially considering how, for example, nearly every reviewer has lamented Vision Pro’s heft even in short bursts. Steven Aquino, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 This mass range is from about 13 Jupiters up to about 75 times that gas giant’s heft (or about 0.075 times the mass of the sun). Phil Plait, Scientific American, 19 Jan. 2024 Europe simply doesn’t have the manufacturing heft right now to independently serve Ukraine over the next 12 months. Luke McGee, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024 Rubber feet on the bottom of the keyboard, coupled with its heft, ensure the Q1 Pro won’t slip around on your desktop. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024 Other noted food movies, too, celebrate the creation of elaborate dishes that carry emotional heft. Emily Heil, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024 The sizable dimensions of 6.7 x 9.4 inches coupled with ample capacity come without much heft—only 4.5 pounds to move around. Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 31 Jan. 2024
Verb
Four men hefted Benites and placed her in the back seat. Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 2 Jan. 2024 Each Wolfram hefts a boxy launcher with cells to launch eight Brimstones (out of over 600 donated), with an effective range of 12 miles, or 24 miles using Brimstone 2s. Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 3 Sep. 2023 In his backyard, Andy Muñoz hefted his oxygen machine onto his lap to sit on a swing beside his son. Vivian Ewing, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2023 The man hefted the entrapped raccoon into the trunk of his car. Martha McPhee, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2023 Medicine balls, the round, weighted orbs designed to be hefted tossed, slammed, thrown, and rolled, are a staple of functional fitness workouts and activities like CrossFit, where exercises like wall balls are commonplace. David Otey, Men's Health, 20 July 2023 At a nearby production line, Amazon workers are busily putting robots together, hefting large pieces of steel around with the help of mechanical arms and installing electronics, sensors, and motors. Will Knight, WIRED, 26 June 2023 Aptly codenamed Condor by NATO, the 200-ton jet—capable of hefting 150 tons of cargo and roughly 50 tons of fuel—is the reigning T-Rex of heavy lift aviation. Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 22 Apr. 2023 Combat jets can also heft a wide variety of ordnance, including air-to-air, air-to-ground, and anti-ship missiles as well as bombs. Michael Peck, Popular Mechanics, 6 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heft.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

from heave, after such pairs as weave : weft

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1661, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of heft was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near heft

Cite this Entry

“Heft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heft. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

heft

2 of 2 verb
1
: to heave up : lift
2
: to test the weight of by lifting

More from Merriam-Webster on heft

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