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.

---

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

---

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]

---

Etymology

Origin of dead weight

First recorded in 1650–60

Example Sentences

“A lot of people are dead weight, too,” she added, asserting that the upcoming year will be about taking care of herself.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2023

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

Perpetual litigation also creates significant "dead weight" in attorneys' fees and court costs, Katyal said.

From Reuters • Sep. 20, 2022

But there’s no reason why the Wild won’t again push for a deep run in the playoffs, despite the dead weight from the buyouts of former franchise players Zach Parise and Ryan Suter.

From Seattle Times • May 17, 2022

I wheezed a tiny prayer to God and ran faster, even with the dead weight on my back.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Related Words

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