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Preposition after adjective

Heavy on, with, for, in or at?

Heavy combines with several prepositions depending on meaning. Heavy on and heavy with are common fixed patterns, while heavy for, heavy in, and heavy at are more context-dependent.

Quick answer

Which preposition should you use with heavy?

Use heavy on for large amounts or emphasis, especially in informal English. Use heavy with for physical fullness or emotional weight. Heavy in is common for industries or content. Heavy for compares weight with a standard. Heavy at is uncommon after heavy and usually belongs to a separate phrase.

The sauce is heavy on garlic.
The branches were heavy with snow.
The box is heavy for a child to carry.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
heavy on + substance/topic

Showing large amounts or strong emphasis

Use heavy on to describe something containing a lot of a substance or focusing strongly on a topic.

This recipe is heavy on cream.
The report was heavy on technical details.
2
heavy with + load/emotion

Describing fullness or burden

Use heavy with when something is full of a substance, feeling, or weight.

The air was heavy with smoke.
Her voice sounded heavy with sadness.
3
heavy for + standard/person

Comparing weight

Use heavy for when comparing something against what is expected or manageable.

The bag is heavy for cabin luggage.
This chair is heavy for one person to move.
4
heavy in + area/activity

Describing concentration in a field

Use heavy in to show strong involvement or concentration in an area.

The region is heavy in industry.
The course is heavy in mathematics.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
heavy on
The movie is heavy on action scenes.
Containing a lot of something or strongly focused on it.
heavy with
The clouds were heavy with rain.
Full of or burdened by something.
heavy for
The package is heavy for its size.
Heavier than expected for a standard.
heavy in
The economy is heavy in manufacturing.
Strongly concentrated in an area.
heavy at
The traffic was heavy at rush hour.
Here at belongs to the time phrase, not directly to heavy.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using with instead of on for emphasis

Heavy on is preferred for focus or large amounts.

✕ The article is heavy with statistics. ✓ The article is heavy on statistics.

Treating heavy at as a fixed pattern

At usually introduces a time or place expression.

✓ Traffic is heavy at this intersection.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The soup is heavy ___ salt.
2. The trees were heavy ___ fruit.
3. The suitcase is too heavy ___ me to lift.

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Frequently asked questions

What does heavy on mean in informal English?

It often means using or containing a lot of something.

Can I say heavy with emotion?

Yes. Heavy with is common for emotions and atmosphere.

Is heavy at correct?

It can appear before time or place phrases, but it is not usually a fixed adjective-preposition combination.

halfway-through-between-up-down, to "handmade by" or "handmade in"? "hands-on with" or "hands-on in"? "handy for" or "handy in"? "happy with", "happy about" or "happy for"? hard for, on, at, of or in? harmful to, for, in, by or of? "harmless from" or "harmless to"? harsh on, in, for, with or to? "hateful to", "hateful towards" or "hateful of"? "hazardous to" or "hazardous for"? "head-to-head with" or "head-to-head in"?

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