Heavy vs She's a cow

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Heavy

Top 1,000 (very common) A2 adjective

She's a cow

Informal Beyond 10,000 (less common)

Most formal: Heavy Most common: Heavy

	Heavy	She's a cow
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ˈhevi/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈhevi/"]/	🇬🇧 //ʃiːz ə kaʊ// 🇺🇸 //ʃiz ə kaʊ//
Meaning	Something that weighs a lot.	A person who is heavy or unfriendly.
Example	The box was too heavy for me to lift.	I can't believe she acted like that; she's a cow.
Register	Neutral	Informal
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Beyond 10,000 (less common)
CEFR level	A2	-
Part of speech	adjective
Collocations	be, feel, look, extremely, fairly, very, be, become, get, extremely, fairly, very	call her a cow, act like a cow, don't be a cow
Antonyms	light, weightless, insignificant	-
Common mistakes	Confused with 'light' — using heavy for something that is not heavy., Using 'heavily' when 'heavy' is needed — misplacing the adjective., Mispronouncing the 'h' sound at the beginning of the word.	Confused with 'She's a great friend' implying kindness., Using in a complimenting context instead of derogatory., Overuse can be seen as rude or disrespectful.
Usage notes	Used to describe weight or intensity. It's appropriate in both formal and informal contexts, but can be ambiguous when used metaphorically (like 'heavy workload').	Typically used in a derogatory manner to describe someone's personality or physical appearance. Avoid in formal contexts.

See it in real clips

You got me, sir. C-47 took heavy fire.

The Lord Of The Rings › The return of the king

Smeagol knows. Heavy, heavy burden.

You got me, sir. C-47 took heavy fire.

The Lord Of The Rings › The return of the king

Smeagol knows. Heavy, heavy burden.

Heavy

Breaking Bad › S1 E4

Who? No. Buddy, she's a cow.

She's a cow

Frequently asked questions: Heavy vs She's a cow

What's the difference between Heavy and She's a cow?

Heavy: Something that weighs a lot. She's a cow: A person who is heavy or unfriendly.

Which is more formal: Heavy and She's a cow?

Heavy is the most formal of these.

Which is more common: Heavy and She's a cow?

Heavy is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Heavy: The box was too heavy for me to lift. She's a cow: I can't believe she acted like that; she's a cow.

Can I use Heavy and She's a cow interchangeably?

Not always. Heavy and She's a cow are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.