Meaning & use
heavy workload
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A large amount of work that a person or group must do.
Grammar: Countable: a heavy workload, heavy workloads. Often used with have, carry, face, or take on.
Patterns
- have a heavy workload
- carry a heavy workload
- face a heavy workload
- a heavy workload for someone
Teachers often have a heavy workload at the end of term.
She took on a heavy workload to finish the project early.
The team is facing a heavy workload this month.
Word forms
| plural | heavy workloads |
|---|
Common combinations
- have a heavy workload
- I have a heavy workload this week, so I can't meet you.
- carry a heavy workload
- He carries a heavy workload without complaining.
- face a heavy workload
- New staff often face a heavy workload at first.
- a heavy workload for someone
- That's a heavy workload for one person.
Synonyms and how they differ
- workload
- The general word for the amount of work; 'heavy workload' specifies that the amount is large.
- burden
- Suggests a difficult or worrying load, often emotional; 'heavy workload' is neutral and about quantity of work.
Opposites
Word family
- workload noun
- The amount of work a person or group has to do.
Commonly confused: heavy workload or heavy work?
heavy workload vs heavy work
'Heavy work' means work that is physically hard or tiring, not a large amount of work.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'heavy workload' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Heavy workload' means a large amount of work. 'Heavy' here does not mean weight, so option 1 is wrong; the phrase is not used as an adjective (option 2) or for physical exercise (option 3).
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “heavy workload”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.