outweigh
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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
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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out (beyond)
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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.
"Our review indicates that these fears are largely unsupported. In most cases, the benefits of trying to lose weight clearly outweigh the theoretical risks of weight cycling."
From Science Daily • May 17, 2026
“There are isolating elements of this as well, but those do not outweigh how positive of an experience it has been.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
This "may mean maintaining the policy rate at the current target range if the risks to inflation outweigh those to the labor market," he told an Alabama event.
From Barron's • Apr. 26, 2026
But after seeing her body’s response, she says the pros outweigh any potential cons, though she does worry about long-term cancer risks.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
I certainly had no evidence to give them that would outweigh Elijah’s authority or the evidence of their own lives or the reality of the streets outside.
From "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin
Definitions 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.
