heft
heft — noun
1. the felt weight or heaviness of an object, especially when you notice it through
the felt weight or heaviness of an object, especially when you notice it through touch or while carrying it.
The heft of the old suitcase told Ramón it was packed with books.
the heft of [object] — felt weight
Brooke was surprised by the heft of the cast-iron pan when she lifted it.
The wooden door had a satisfying heft that cheap modern doors lack.
Ritu judged the heft of the axe head before swinging it at the log.
- lightness
the opposite quality
文法句型
the heft of [noun phrase]
用法筆記
Frequently used after 'the' ('the heft of something'). Rarely appears in plural. The word emphasises the sensation of heaviness rather than an exact measurement.
常見錯誤
2. the real influence or importance that a person, organisation, or argument has wi
the real influence or importance that a person, organisation, or argument has within a particular group or situation.
The senator's opinions carried heft among voters in the rural counties.
carry heft among [group] — figurative influence
Adding a Nobel laureate to the board gave the organisation real heft.
Without data to back it up, the argument lacks heft.
The council's decision gained extra heft after the mayor publicly endorsed it.
- insignificance
lack of importance
- weakness
lack of influence
文法句型
[verb] + heft
heft + among/in [group]
用法筆記
Often follows verbs like 'carries', 'gains', 'lacks', or 'has'. Typically describes institutional, political, or intellectual influence — not personal charisma.
常見錯誤
heft — verb
- heftpresent simple I / you / we / they
- heftshe / she / it
- heftedpast simple
- hefting-ing form
1. to lift or move something noticeably heavy, usually with your hands and a bit of
to lift or move something noticeably heavy, usually with your hands and a bit of effort.
Owen hefted the sack of cement onto his shoulder and carried it to the truck.
heft + onto [surface] — preposition pattern for moving
Dario hefted the heavy box up onto the top shelf in the storeroom.
The movers hefted the piano down the narrow staircase one careful step at a time.
Yael hefted the toolbox into the back of the van and slammed the tailgate shut.
- drop
to let fall
文法句型
heft + noun phrase
heft + noun phrase + prepositional phrase (onto/into/over/down)
用法筆記
The object must be notably heavy — heft is not used for light objects that are easy to lift. Common with directional prepositions (onto, into, over, down).
常見錯誤
2. to pick up an object and hold it in your hand to get a sense of how heavy it fee
to pick up an object and hold it in your hand to get a sense of how heavy it feels, often done before deciding whether to buy or use it.
At the market, Daichi hefted the melon in his hand before deciding to buy it.
heft + in hand to decide — testing before buying
Valentina hefted the wooden bat to see if its weight was right for her swing.
Jack hefted the tent bag to judge if he could carry it to the campsite.
Soraya hefted each box of tiles at the hardware store before picking the lightest one.
- weigh
can involve a scale; heft specifically means using your hand, not a tool
文法句型
heft + noun phrase + in [hand/palm]
heft + noun phrase + to see/check/decide
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: in sense 2 the main purpose is to judge the weight, not to relocate the object. The object is often held for just a moment in one hand.