dead weight

American  

Or deadweight

noun

1. the heavy, unrelieved weight of anything inert.

   The dead weight of the bear's body was over 300 pounds.

2. a heavy or oppressive burden or responsibility.

3. the weight of a railroad car, truck, etc., as distinct from its load or contents.

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dead weight British  

noun

1. a heavy weight or load

2. an oppressive burden; encumbrance

3. the difference between the loaded and the unloaded weights of a ship

4. another name for dead load

5. (in shipping) freight chargeable by weight rather than by bulk

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dead weight Idioms  

1. A heavy or oppressive burden, as in That police record will be a dead weight on his career. This term alludes to the unrelieved weight of an inert mass. [Early 1700s]

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Etymology

Origin of dead weight

First recorded in 1650–60

Example Sentences

The factory sector no longer looks like dead weight.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 6, 2026

The text of the measure was unenforceable, but the dead words remained in the California Constitution, a dead weight on our collective conscience.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2024

Misguided, opinionated labor is dead weight; the high-up leaders know best, which is why they’ve earned the positions they have to begin with.

From Slate • Sep. 14, 2023

If your torso, hips and lower body are rigid, it makes it a lot easier to lift them than if they’re dead weight.

From New York Times • Mar. 8, 2022

Roy felt smushed and uncomfortable, but it was no use trying to squirm loose; Dana was dead weight.

From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen

Related Words

• barrier
• bottleneck
• burden
• defect
• deterrent
• difficulty
• disadvantage
• drawback
• flaw
• handicap
• hazard
• hitch
• hurdle
• inhibition
• obstacle
• red tape
• restriction
• setback
• snag
• stumbling block