15 Collocations with HEAVY

15 Collocations with HEAVY (Meanings and Examples)

Hello, English learners. Welcome back. Collocations are words that naturally go together in English. Native speakers don’t usually think about them — they simply sound right. For learners, however, collocations are one of the quickest ways to sound more fluent and precise. In today’s lesson, we’ll look at 15 common collocations with heavy. You’ll see how heavy is used not only for physical weight, but also for feelings, situations, pressure, and impact.

Heavy burden

Meaning: A serious responsibility or emotional weight that causes stress or difficulty.

• Taking care of the family business became a heavy burden for her.
• He carried the heavy burden of responsibility alone.

Heavy dose

Meaning: A large amount of something, such as medicine, information, or experience.

• The doctor prescribed a heavy dose of antibiotics.
• The film delivers a heavy dose of realism.

Heavy-duty

Meaning: Designed to handle difficult conditions or hard use.

• The team used heavy-duty equipment on the construction site.
• These are heavy-duty gloves, suitable for outdoor work.

Heavy emotions

Meaning: Strong, intense feelings that are difficult to deal with.

• The conversation stirred heavy emotions.
• After the loss, she struggled with heavy emotions.

Heavy heart

Meaning: A feeling of sadness or sorrow.

• He left the city with a heavy heart.
• She spoke with a heavy heart about the decision.

Heavy investment

Meaning: A large amount of money or resources spent on something.

• The company made a heavy investment in new technology.
• After heavy investment, profits finally began to rise.

Heavy machinery

Meaning: Large, powerful machines used in industry or construction.

• Only trained staff are allowed to operate heavy machinery.
• Heavy machinery was brought in to clear the site.

Heavy rain

Meaning: A large amount of rain falling in a short time.

• Heavy rain caused flooding in the area.
• The match was cancelled because of heavy rain.

Heavy reliance

Meaning: Strong dependence on someone or something.

• The business has a heavy reliance on online sales.
• Heavy reliance on one supplier can be risky.

Heavy restrictions

Meaning: Strict limits that reduce freedom or activity.

• Heavy restrictions were introduced during the crisis.
• The area is under heavy restrictions for safety reasons.

Heavy smoke

Meaning: A thick amount of smoke, often from fire or damage.

• Heavy smoke filled the building.
• Firefighters struggled to see through the heavy smoke.

Heavy snowfall

Meaning: A large amount of snow falling over a short period.

• Heavy snowfall disrupted transport across the region.
• The village was cut off after heavy snowfall.

Heavy toll

Meaning: Serious negative effects or damage caused by a situation.

• The long winter took a heavy toll on local businesses.
• Stress can take a heavy toll on health.

Heavy traffic

Meaning: A large number of vehicles causing congestion.

• We were late because of heavy traffic.
• Expect heavy traffic during rush hour.

Heavy workload

Meaning: A large amount of work that causes pressure or stress.

• She’s struggling with a heavy workload at the moment.
• Despite the heavy workload, he met the deadline.

Final tip

When learning collocations with heavy, don’t focus on individual words. Learn them as complete chunks and notice the situations they appear in. This will help you sound more natural, more fluent, and more confident in both speaking and writing — especially at B2 and C1 level.

Learn collocations for B2 First writing and speaking here

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