lay heavy vs laying heavy

Examples:

• The responsibility of taking care of her siblings lay heavy on her shoulders.
• The thick fog lay heavy over the city, obscuring the view.
• The decision to fire employees lay heavy on the manager's heart.
• The guilt of his actions lay heavy on his conscience.
• The silence in the room lay heavy, creating a tense atmosphere.

Alternatives:

• felt heavy
• weighed heavily
• was burdensome
• was oppressive
• was onerous

Examples:

• The rain was laying heavy on the roof, creating a soothing sound.
• The stress of the situation was laying heavy on her mind, making it hard to focus.
• The responsibility of the project was laying heavy on the team, causing tension among members.
• The sadness of the loss was laying heavy on his heart, making it difficult to move on.
• The exhaustion from the long day was laying heavy on his body, urging him to rest.

Alternatives:

• was becoming heavy
• was growing burdensome
• was getting oppressive
• was getting onerous
• was weighing heavily