ponderous

ponderous
adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French ponderus, from Latin ponderosus, from ponder-, pondus weight Date: 15th century 1. of very great weight 2. unwieldy or clumsy because of weight and size 3. oppressively or unpleasantly dull ; lifeless <
ponderous prose
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Synonyms: see heavyponderously adverbponderousness noun

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • Ponderous — Pon der*ous, a. [L. ponderosus, from pondus, eris, a weight: cf. F. pond[ e]reux. See {Ponder}.] 1. Very heavy; weighty; as, a ponderous shield; a ponderous load; the ponderous elephant. [1913 Webster] The sepulcher . . . Hath oped his ponderous… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • ponderous — [adj1] heavy, cumbersome awkward, bulky, burdensome, clumsy, cumbrous, dull, elephantine, graceless, hefty, huge, laborious, lifeless, lumbering, massive, onerous, oppressive, substantial, troublesome, unhandy, unwieldy, weighty; concepts 491,565 …   New thesaurus

  • ponderous — [pän′dər əs] adj. [ME < L ponderosus < pondus, a weight: see POUND1] 1. very heavy 2. unwieldy because of weight 3. that seems heavy; bulky; massive 4. labored and dull [a ponderous joke] SYN. HEAVY …   English World dictionary

  • ponderous — I adjective awkward, big, boring, bulky, burdensome, clumsy, corpulent, cumbersome, cumbrous, dense, drearisome, dreary, droning, dull, elephantine, enormous, forced, gravis, hard to lift, heavy, hulking, labored, large, leaden, lifeless,… …   Law dictionary

  • ponderous — (adj.) c.1400, heavy, weighty, clumsy, from L. ponderosus of great weight, from pondus (gen. ponderis) weight (see POUND (Cf. pound) (n.1)). Meaning tedious is first recorded 1704 …   Etymology dictionary

  • ponderous — cumbrous, cumbersome, *heavy, weighty, hefty Analogous words: *massive, massy, bulky, substantial: clumsy, *awkward, maladroit: *onerous, burdensome, oppressive, exacting …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • ponderous — ► ADJECTIVE 1) slow and clumsy because of great weight. 2) dull or laborious. DERIVATIVES ponderously adverb. ORIGIN Latin ponderosus, from pondus weight …   English terms dictionary

  • ponderous — [[t]pɒ̱ndərəs[/t]] 1) ADJ GRADED Ponderous writing or speech is very serious, uses more words than necessary, and is rather dull. He had a dense, ponderous style. Derived words: ponderously ADV GRADED ADV with v ...the rather ponderously titled… …   English dictionary

  • ponderous — pon|der|ous [ˈpɔndərəs US ˈpa:n ] adj [Date: 1300 1400; : French; Origin: pondéreux, from Latin ponderosus, from pondus; PONDER] 1.) slow or awkward because of being very big and heavy ▪ an elephant s ponderous walk 2.) boring, very serious, and… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • ponderous — adjective 1 moving slowly or awkwardly because of being very big and heavy: an elephant s ponderous walk 2 boring and too serious: a ponderous and difficult book, intended for experts 3 very big and heavy: Calvin s way was blocked by the… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • ponderous — ponderously, adv. ponderousness, ponderosity /pon deuh ros i tee/, n. /pon deuhr euhs/, adj. 1. of great weight; heavy; massive. 2. awkward or unwieldy: He carried a ponderous burden on his back. 3. dull and labored: a ponderous dissertation.… …   Universalium

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