weigh
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to determine or ascertain the force that gravitation exerts upon (a person or thing) by use of a balance, scale, or other mechanical device.
to weigh oneself; to weigh potatoes; to weigh gases.
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to hold up or balance, as in the hand, in order to estimate the weight.
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to measure, separate, or apportion (a certain quantity of something) according to weight (usually followed byout ).
to weigh out five pounds of sugar.
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to make heavy; increase the weight or bulk of; weight.
We weighed the drapes to make them hang properly.
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to evaluate in the mind; consider carefully in order to reach an opinion, decision, or choice.
to weigh the facts; to weigh a proposal.
- Synonyms:
- contemplate, ponder
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Archaic. to raise, lift, or hoist (something).
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Obsolete. to think important; esteem.
verb (used without object)
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to have weight or a specified amount of weight.
to weigh less; to weigh a ton.
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to have importance, moment, or consequence.
Your recommendation weighs heavily in his favor.
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to bear down as a weight or burden (usually followed by on orupon ).
Responsibility weighed upon her.
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to consider carefully or judicially.
to weigh well before deciding.
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(of a ship) to raise the anchor and get under way.
The ship weighed early and escaped in the fog.
verb phrase
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weigh down
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weigh in
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(of a boxer or wrestler) to be weighed by a medical examiner on the day of a bout.
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to be of the weight determined by such a weighing.
He weighed in at 170 pounds.
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(of a jockey) to be weighed with the saddle and weights after a race.
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Informal. to offer an opinion, advice, support, etc., especially in a forceful or authoritative way.
The chairman weighed in with an idea for the fundraiser.
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weigh out (of a jockey)
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to be weighed with the saddle and weights before a race.
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to be of the weight determined by such a weighing.
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idioms
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weigh one's words. word.
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weigh anchor, to heave up a ship's anchor in preparation for getting under way.
idioms
verb
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(tr) to measure the weight of
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(intr) to have weight or be heavy
she weighs more than her sister
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to apportion according to weight
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(tr) to consider carefully
to weigh the facts of a case
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(intr) to be influential
his words weighed little with the jury
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to be oppressive or burdensome (to)
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obsolete to regard or esteem
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to raise a vessel's anchor or (of a vessel) to have its anchor raised preparatory to departure
noun
Related Words
See study.
Other Word Forms
- unweighable adjective
- unweighing adjective
- weighable adjective
- weigher noun
- well-weighed adjective
Etymology
Origin of weigh1
First recorded before 900; Middle English weien, wein, weighen, Old English wegan “to carry, weigh”; cognate with Dutch wegen, German wägen, Old Norse vega; akin to Latin vehere “to carry, convey”
Origin of weigh2
First recorded in 1775–85; spelling variant of way 1 by association with weigh anchor
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.
Tech stocks such as Palantir Technologies, AppLovin and Microsoft weighed on major indexes Friday, the first day of trading in the new year, while shares of energy, materials and utilities marched higher.
Monday’s selloff in precious metals sent silver futures to their steepest one-day decline in almost five years and weighed down mining stocks.
Tariffs tend to increase businesses’ input costs, which then weigh on profit margins.
From Barron's
Soybean oil’s weakness on the Chicago Board of Trade also weighed on palm oil’s prices.
A blog post on the company's website says the boulder is made of rubber and weighs 400 pounds.
From Barron's
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.
