ponderous

[pon-der-uhs] / ˈpɒn dər əs /

ADJECTIVE

heavy, cumbersome

Synonyms

STRONGEST

awkward bulky clumsy unwieldy weighty

WEAK

burdensome cumbrous dull elephantine graceless hefty huge laborious lifeless lumbering massive onerous oppressive substantial troublesome unhandy

Antonyms

STRONGEST

adroit clever convenient dexterous easy graceful handy small thin

WEAK

airy buoyant delicate fun light unburdensome

ADJECTIVE

dreary, tedious

Synonyms

STRONGEST

labored monotonous plodding stilted stodgy stuffy

WEAK

arid barren cardboard dry dull heavy humdrum lifeless long-winded pedantic pedestrian prolix stiff vapid verbose wooden

Antonyms

STRONGEST

exciting

WEAK

airy buoyant delicate fun light unburdensome

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Asked about the characterization of European initiatives to boost growth as slow and ponderous, Lancastle argues this is no longer valid.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 16, 2026

Few sports topics are as reliably ponderous, full of arid data, self-importance and opinions that only make sense to the voters holding them.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

His debut single, Sign Of The Times, was a ponderous and needlessly long ballad that entered the charts at number one purely on the basis of Styles' celebrity.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

Despite Chelsea's territorial dominance, their fans began to grow frustrated at their ponderous passing and failure to put Wolves to the sword.

From Barron's • Nov. 8, 2025

The air was thick and ponderous with humidity.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

ponderous

Example Sentences

Related Words