Heft
/hɛft/
Meaning & Definition
noun
Great weight or importance.
The heft of her argument left little room for doubt.
The weight or mass of something.
The heft of the box made it difficult to lift.
verb
To lift or carry something heavy.
He hefted the large stone onto the trailer.
To assess the weight of something.
She hefted the bag to judge whether she could carry it.
Etymology
From Middle English 'heft', meaning 'weight, bulk', derived from Old Norse 'hafta', meaning 'to grab, to carry'.
Common Phrases and Expressions
heft it out
To lift and move something heavy.
heft of the matter
The seriousness or importance of an issue.
Related Words
weight
The measure of the heaviness of an object.
burden
A heavy load or responsibility.
load
Something that is carried, especially a heavy one.
Slang Meanings
To have a significant presence or impact.
That new movie has real heft in the industry.
To carry or handle something heavily or with difficulty.
He was hefting around those equipment pieces all day.