Heavyweight Person Important Influence Force Reckoned Lightweight Suggests

1. The two important and well-known authors John Steinbeck and Ernest Hemingway are heavyweights in American literature.
2. You cannot dismiss the importance and influence of heavyweight Steven Spielberg on the movie industry. His use of high-tech visual effects has become the new standard for action films.

Synonyms: bigwig; force to be reckoned with

Antonym: lightweight

The expression suggests that the person carries a lot of weight and therefore influence in a particular field. A bigwig is frequently limited to the business world and suggests a person who is high up on the corporate ladder. A force to be reckoned with can be used to describe someone or something that is powerful, and may instill a sense of fear that heavyweight does not. The expressions heavyweight and lightweight come from the sport of boxing. Boxers are put into classes according to their weights. Heavyweight is the heaviest class, with boxers weighing more than 175 pounds or 81 kilograms.