hang heavy
Burden the spirit
Time or burdens hang heavy when they feel oppressive or pass slowly.
The phrase suggests weight pressing down on someone's mind or spirit: The hours hang heavy when you're waiting for news.
Guilt or responsibility can also hang heavy: The decision hung heavy on her conscience.
The construction typically pairs with abstract nouns—time, silence, air, atmosphere.
- ponderousAwkwardly heavy or slow
- dead weightInert, burdensome mass
- oppressiveUnjustly harsh or stifling
- overbearingArrogantly dominating in manner
- burdensomeDifficult to endure
pall · dark cloud · lingering · gloomy · weight · foreboding · weary · leaden · cumbersome · melancholy · heavyhearted · dread · gravity · sorrow · timelessness · time stands still · delay · anxiety