NYT Dictionary

HEFT

/heft/
NounVerbHEFTGrade 8

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2023, 2025

Meaning

The feel of the weight of something; heaviness.

Etymology

Origin: Old English

The noun is derived from Late Middle English heft (“heaviness; something heavy, a weight”), from heven (“to lift, raise”) + -th (suffix denoting a condition, quality, state of being, etc., forming nouns), by analogy with the development of weft from weven (modern English weave), etc. (also compare words like cleft from cleave, and theft from thieve, where the development occurred in Old English or earlier languages). The English word is analysable as heave + -t (suffix forming nouns from verbs). The verb is probably derived from the noun.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

heftinesshoistmassivenessponderousnessponderosityheaveavoirdupoisbalancebeefboost

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 2 recorded puzzles:

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