Meaning & use
heavy equipment
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountable
large, powerful machines used for jobs such as building, digging, lifting, or moving earth
Grammar: No plural form; use it with a singular verb and no article: Heavy equipment was parked outside.
Patterns
- use heavy equipment
- operate heavy equipment
- heavy equipment operator
- a piece of heavy equipment
The company rented heavy equipment to clear the land for the new houses.
You need a license to operate heavy equipment on a construction site.
The road was blocked by heavy equipment that had broken down.
Common combinations
- heavy equipment operator
- He works as a heavy equipment operator at the mine.
- rent heavy equipment
- They rented heavy equipment for the weekend project.
- a piece of heavy equipment
- A single piece of heavy equipment can cost thousands of dollars a day.
- heavy equipment dealership
- The heavy equipment dealership sells tractors and excavators.
Synonyms and how they differ
- machinery
- Machinery is a general word for machines of any size, while heavy equipment specifically means large, powerful machines for construction or industry.
- construction equipment
- This is a narrower term that includes only machines used in building, whereas heavy equipment can also be used in mining, farming, or shipping.
Commonly confused: heavy equipment or heavy machinery?
heavy equipment vs heavy machinery
This is very close in meaning, but heavy machinery often refers to the machines inside a factory, while heavy equipment usually refers to mobile machines used outdoors.
Practice
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
Choose one answer.
Heavy equipment is uncountable, so it takes a singular verb and no plural -s: 'Heavy equipment is expensive.' The other options wrongly add -s or use 'a' with an uncountable noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “heavy equipment”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.