ponderous
ponderous Lexical Profile
ponderous Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Dull, laborious, or excessively solemn, especially in speech, writing, or style.
"The professor delivered a ponderous three-hour lecture that put half the auditorium to sleep."
Slow, awkward, and clumsy in movement because of great physical weight or bulk.
"The ancient tortoise made its slow, ponderous way across the sandy beach toward the water."
Word Nuance & Usage
Because 'ponderous' shares a root with the verb 'ponder', it is sometimes mistakenly used to mean 'thoughtful' or 'contemplative'; in reality, it strictly means 'slow and clumsy because of great weight' or 'tediously dull and labored'.
• Rhymes for ponderous
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 14th century from Old French pondereux or directly from Latin ponderōsus ('of great weight, heavy'), derived from pondus ('weight'), which also gave rise to the verb 'ponder' ('to weigh in the mind').