Ponderous

Pronunciation: /ˈpɑndərəs/

Definitions of ponderous

adjective dull and laborious

Example Sentences

A1 The elephant was ponderous as it lumbered through the jungle.

A2 The old man moved with a ponderous gait, taking his time with each step.

B1 The book was filled with ponderous language, making it difficult to read.

B2 The professor's lectures were often ponderous, causing many students to struggle to stay awake.

C1 The government's response to the crisis was criticized for being ponderous and ineffective.

C2 The company's decision-making process was so ponderous that it hindered progress and innovation.

Examples of ponderous in a Sentence

formal The professor's lecture was filled with ponderous information that required deep thought and analysis.

informal I couldn't finish reading that ponderous novel because it was too boring.

slang The movie was so ponderous, I fell asleep halfway through.

figurative The weight of her decision felt ponderous, as if it were crushing her spirit.

Grammatical Forms of ponderous

• past tense: pondered
• plural: ponderous
• comparative: more ponderous
• superlative: most ponderous
• present tense: ponder
• future tense: will ponder
• perfect tense: have pondered
• continuous tense: is pondering
• singular: ponderous
• positive degree: ponderous
• infinitive: to ponder
• gerund: pondering
• participle: pondered

Origin and Evolution of ponderous

First Known Use: 0015 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'ponderous' originated from the Latin word 'ponderosus' which means heavy or weighty.

Evolution of the word: Originally used to describe physical weight or heaviness, 'ponderous' evolved to also describe something slow, dull, or laborious in a figurative sense.