outweigh
Americanverb (used with object)
-
outweighs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
outweighed,
past participle, past
-
outweighing
present participle
-
to exceed in value, importance, influence, etc..
The advantages of the plan outweighed its defects.
- Synonyms:
- override, eclipse, overshadow, surpass
-
to exceed in weight.
The champion will probably outweigh his opponent.
-
to be too heavy or burdensome for.
Collapse may follow if the load outweighs its supports.
verb
-
to prevail over; overcome
his desire outweighed his discretion
-
to be more important or significant than
-
to be heavier than
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
outweighsimple
-
outweighssimple
-
have outweighedperfect
-
has outweighedperfect
-
am outweighingprogressive
-
are outweighingprogressive
-
is outweighingprogressive
-
have been outweighingperfect progressive
-
has been outweighingperfect progressive
Past
-
outweighedsimple
-
had outweighedperfect
-
was outweighingprogressive
-
were outweighingprogressive
-
had been outweighingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of outweigh
Explanation
To outweigh is to be heavier or more important than something (or someone). A preschooler's needs might outweigh those of his uncle, even if the uncle does outweigh him by 200 pounds. Your Great Dane definitely outweighs your kitten, just like your car outweighs your bicycle and you outweigh the ant you just accidentally stepped on. If someone says "the benefits outweigh the risks," they mean that what can be gained is much more significant that what might be lost or risked: "I think you should apply for that scholarship; the benefits really outweigh the risks."
Vocabulary lists containing outweigh
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But parents believe the benefits outweigh the potential downsides.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026
The researchers suggest that this unusual evolutionary strategy would be advantageous only in environments where the benefits of greater spore dispersal outweigh the resources needed for growth.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 26, 2026
Kobliner: If you’re going to move in two or three years, the cost of moving and closing costs can outweigh the benefit of buying, and maybe the home price won’t go up.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
It's important to bear in mind that the emissions from burning gas also greatly outweigh the emissions from producing it.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
I explained the advantages that could be derived from the long-term artistic products of the club’s writers, and pointed out that these more durable products would outweigh all the pamphleteering.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
Getting to the truth of something outweighs anything else.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
College grad and barista Brooks Langford said it’s typical for user-generated promotional posts to skip disclosures, admitting “easy cash outweighs the slight dishonesty” he feels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
The risk outweighs the reward of seeing the car go really fast.
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026
She added: “The advertising ramp outweighs the engagement debate.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
“Even with crazy, messy, annoying Iesha. It’s a little different, yeah, but if the good outweighs the bad, keep Hailey in your life, baby.”
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
Deutsche Lufthansa LHA 4.13%increase; green up pointing triangle reported an increase in third-quarter net profit, after strong demand and cost discipline outweighed higher fuel prices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
Investor fears over tech stocks, fueled by shrinking cash flows at Intel and Amazon due to AI spending, outweighed the impact of the Binance hack.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
“Having said this, the strength of the economy and the positive forces from these investments have thus far outweighed the potential downside.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
Is the potential injustice of one team having to face a pink ball outweighed by the need to get more action of the field?
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
I began teaching in New York Mosque Seven that a man’s accomplishments in his life outweighed his personal, human weaknesses.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
“I think the earnings story of small caps is outweighing some of the fears of higher rates.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
“Emotional value is increasingly shaping purchasing decisions, at times outweighing practical function.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026
Crude futures settled lower with market expectations of a resolution to the U.S.-Iran conflict outweighing concerns of a renewed flare-up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
That accounted for more than 90% of the company’s total earnings for the quarter, outweighing the sluggish performance in other segments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
So much for the good outweighing the bad.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
