Burden vs. Weight — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on March 13, 2024
A burden often refers to an emotional or psychological load, while weight typically denotes a physical mass or heaviness.
Difference Between Burden and Weight
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Burden is commonly used to describe an emotional, psychological, or responsibility-related load that one carries, often implying stress, worry, or obligation. It can refer to anything from personal challenges and societal expectations to professional responsibilities. On the other hand, weight is a measure of physical mass, quantifiable and objective, governed by gravitational force on an object, relevant in contexts ranging from everyday objects to scientific calculations.
While burdens are subjective and can vary greatly in their impact from person to person, weight is universal and measurable, with standardized units such as pounds or kilograms. The impact of a burden can depend on an individual's mental and emotional capacity, resilience, and support systems, whereas the impact of weight is determined by physical laws and can be calculated with precision.
Burden can also imply a hindrance or something that hampers progress, not limited to emotional aspects but extending to any factor that makes tasks more challenging, such as financial debt or caregiving responsibilities. In contrast, weight can also refer to the influence or importance of something, such as the weight of evidence in a legal case, but remains distinct from the metaphorical or psychological implications of a burden.
The alleviation of a burden often requires addressing the underlying issues, such as finding solutions to problems, seeking emotional support, or redistributing responsibilities. Reducing weight, however, can be a more straightforward process, involving physical removal or reduction of mass, though it can also involve considerations of balance, distribution, and structural integrity in practical applications.
Understanding the difference between a burden and weight is essential in various contexts, from providing support and empathy in personal relationships to designing and engineering in technical fields, ensuring appropriate responses and solutions to diverse challenges.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Emotional or psychological load, or a responsibility that causes stress.
Physical mass of an object, measurable and influenced by gravity.
Nature
Subjective and variable.
Objective and quantifiable.
Measurement
Not quantifiable in standard units; varies by individual perception.
Quantifiable in units such as pounds or kilograms.
Impact
Depends on individual capacity and circumstances.
Governed by physical laws, consistent across similar masses.
Alleviation
Requires addressing underlying emotional, psychological, or situational factors.
Involves physical reduction or redistribution of mass.
Compare with Definitions
Burden
A burden can represent emotional stress or worries.
The burden of caregiving can affect one's mental health.
Weight
Weight measures the physical heaviness of an object.
The weight of a backpack can cause physical strain.
Burden
The impact of a burden varies by individual.
What's a small burden to one may be overwhelming to another.
Weight
Weight is measurable in precise units.
The weight of a vehicle is expressed in tons or kilograms.
Burden
Burden often refers to heavy responsibilities.
The burden of leadership involves making tough decisions.
Weight
The impact of weight is consistent and predictable.
Increased weight can lead to higher fuel consumption in vehicles.
Burden
Burdens are intangible and can't be measured physically.
The burden of debt weighs heavily on one's mind.
Weight
Reducing weight often involves physical removal.
Lightening a load can make transportation easier.
Burden
Addressing burdens often involves problem-solving or support.
Sharing one's burdens can lighten the emotional load.
Weight
Weight is a tangible property of objects.
The weight of building materials is crucial for structural calculations.
Burden
A drone, as of a bagpipe or pedal point.
Weight
In science and engineering, the weight of an object is the force acting on the object due to gravity.Some standard textbooks define weight as a vector quantity, the gravitational force acting on the object. Others define weight as a scalar quantity, the magnitude of the gravitational force.
Burden
Something that is carried.
Weight
A measure of the heaviness of an object
A contest to guess the weight of a pig.
Burden
Something that is emotionally difficult to bear.
Weight
The force with which a body is attracted to Earth or another celestial body, equal to the product of the object's mass and the acceleration of gravity.
Burden
A source of great worry or stress; weight
The burden of economic sacrifice rests on the workers of the plant.
Weight
A unit measure of gravitational force
A table of weights and measures.
Burden
A responsibility or duty
The burden of organizing the campaign fell to me.
Weight
A system of such measures
Avoirdupois weight.
Troy weight.
Burden
A principal or recurring idea; a theme
"The burden of what he said was to defend enthusiastically the conservative aristocracy" (J.A. Froude).
Weight
A metallic solid used as a standard of comparison in weighing.
Burden
(Archaic) The chorus or refrain of a composition.
Weight
An object used to hold something else down.
Burden
(Archaic) The bass accompaniment to a song.
Weight
A counterbalance in a machine.
Burden
The amount of cargo that a vessel can carry.
Weight
(Sports) A heavy object, such as a dumbbell, lifted for exercise or in athletic competition.
Burden
The weight of the cargo carried by a vessel at one time.
Weight
Excessive fat; corpulence
Exercising in order to lose weight.
Burden
The amount of a disease-causing entity present in an organism.
Weight
(Statistics) A factor assigned to a number in a computation, as in determining an average, to increase or decrease the number's effect on the computation, reflecting its importance.
Burden
To cause difficulty or distress to; distress or oppress.
Weight
Oppressiveness; pressure
The weight of responsibilities.
Burden
To load or overload.
Weight
The greater part; preponderance
The weight of the evidence is against the defendant.
Burden
A heavy load.
Weight
Influence, importance, or authority
Her approval carried great weight.
Burden
A responsibility, onus.
Weight
Ponderous quality
The weight of the speaker's words.
Burden
A cause of worry; that which is grievous, wearisome, or oppressive.
Weight
(Sports) A classification according to comparative lightness or heaviness. Often used in combination
A heavyweight boxer.
Burden
The capacity of a vessel, or the weight of cargo that she will carry.
A ship of a hundred tons burden
Weight
The heaviness or thickness of a fabric in relation to a particular season or use. Often used in combination
A summerweight jacket.
Burden
(mining) The tops or heads of stream-work which lie over the stream of tin.
Weight
A measure of the relative thickness of yarn.
Burden
(metalworking) The proportion of ore and flux to fuel, in the charge of a blast furnace.
Weight
To make heavy or heavier
Our backpacks were weighted down with food and other essentials.
Burden
A fixed quantity of certain commodities.
A burden of gad steel is 120 pounds.
Weight
To cause to feel concerned, sad, or preoccupied; burden or oppress
He was weighted with guilt.
Burden
A birth.
... that bore thee at a burden two fair sons.
Weight
To increase the weight or body of (fabrics) by treating with chemicals.
Burden
(medicine) The total amount of toxins, parasites, cancer cells, plaque or similar present in an organism.
Weight
(Statistics) To assign weights or a weight to.
Burden
(music) A phrase or theme that recurs at the end of each verse in a folk song or ballad.
Weight
To cause to have a slant or bias
Weighted the rules in favor of homeowners.
Burden
The drone of a bagpipe.
Weight
(Sports) To assign to (a horse) the weight it must carry as a handicap in a race.
Burden
Theme, core idea.
The burden of the argument
Weight
The force on an object due to the gravitational attraction between it and the Earth (or whatever astronomical object it is primarily influenced by).
Burden
(transitive) To encumber with a literal or figurative burden.
To burden a nation with taxes
Weight
An object used to make something heavier.
Burden
(transitive) To impose, as a load or burden; to lay or place as a burden (something heavy or objectionable).
Weight
A standardized block of metal used in a balance to measure the mass of another object.
Burden
That which is borne or carried; a load.
Plants with goodly burden bowing.
Weight
Importance or influence.
Burden
That which is borne with labor or difficulty; that which is grievous, wearisome, or oppressive.
Deaf, giddy, helpless, left alone,To all my friends a burden grown.
Weight
(weightlifting) An object, such as a weight plate or barbell, used for strength training.
He's working out with weights.
Burden
The capacity of a vessel, or the weight of cargo that she will carry; as, a ship of a hundred tons burden.
Weight
(lubricants) viscosity rating.
Burden
The tops or heads of stream-work which lie over the stream of tin.
Weight
(physics) Mass (atomic weight, molecular weight, etc.) in restricted circumstances
Burden
The proportion of ore and flux to fuel, in the charge of a blast furnace.
Weight
Synonym of mass}} {{qualifier
Burden
A fixed quantity of certain commodities; as, a burden of gad steel, 120 pounds.
Weight
(measurement) Mass (net weight, troy weight, carat weight, etc.).
Burden
A birth.
Weight
(statistics) A variable which multiplies a value for ease of statistical manipulation.
Burden
The verse repeated in a song, or the return of the theme at the end of each stanza; the chorus; refrain. Hence: That which is often repeated or which is dwelt upon; the main topic; as, the burden of a prayer.
I would sing my song without a burden.
Weight
(topology) The smallest cardinality of a base.
Burden
The drone of a bagpipe.
Weight
(typography) The boldness of a font; the relative thickness of its strokes.
Burden
A club.
Weight
(visual art) The relative thickness of a drawn rule or painted brushstroke, line weight.
Burden
To encumber with weight (literal or figurative); to lay a heavy load upon; to load.
I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened.
Weight
(visual art) The illusion of mass.
Burden
To oppress with anything grievous or trying; to overload; as, to burden a nation with taxes.
My burdened heart would break.
Weight
(visual art) The thickness and opacity of paint.
Burden
To impose, as a load or burden; to lay or place as a burden (something heavy or objectionable).
It is absurd to burden this act on Cromwell.
Weight
Pressure; burden.
The weight of care or business
Burden
An onerous or difficult concern;
The burden of responsibility
That's a load off my mind
Weight
The resistance against which a machine acts, as opposed to the power which moves it.
Burden
Weight to be borne or conveyed
Weight
Shipments of (often illegal) drugs.
He was pushing weight.
Burden
The central meaning or theme of a speech or literary work
Weight
One pound of drugs, especially cannabis.
Burden
The central idea that is expanded in a document or discourse
Weight
Money.
Burden
Weight down with a load
Weight
Weight class
Burden
Impose a task upon, assign a responsibility to;
He charged her with cleaning up all the files over the weekend
Weight
(transitive) To add weight to something; to make something heavier.
Weight
To load (fabrics) with barite, etc. to increase the weight.
Weight
(transitive) To load, burden or oppress someone.
Weight
To assign weights to individual statistics.
Weight
(transitive) To bias something; to slant.
Weight
To handicap a horse with a specified weight.
Weight
To give a certain amount of force to a throw, kick, hit, etc.
Weight
The quality of being heavy; that property of bodies by which they tend toward the center of the earth; the effect of gravitative force, especially when expressed in certain units or standards, as pounds, grams, etc.
Weight
The quantity of heaviness; comparative tendency to the center of the earth; the quantity of matter as estimated by the balance, or expressed numerically with reference to some standard unit; as, a mass of stone having the weight of five hundred pounds.
For sorrow, like a heavy-hanging bell,Once set on ringing, with his own weight goes.
Weight
Hence, pressure; burden; as, the weight of care or business.
For the public all this weight he bears.
[He] who singly bore the world's sad weight.
Weight
Importance; power; influence; efficacy; consequence; moment; impressiveness; as, a consideration of vast weight.
In such a point of weight, so near mine honor.
Weight
A scale, or graduated standard, of heaviness; a mode of estimating weight; as, avoirdupois weight; troy weight; apothecaries' weight.
Weight
A ponderous mass; something heavy; as, a clock weight; a paper weight.
A man leapeth better with weights in his hands.
Weight
A definite mass of iron, lead, brass, or other metal, to be used for ascertaining the weight of other bodies; as, an ounce weight.
Weight
The resistance against which a machine acts, as opposed to the power which moves it.
Weight
To load with a weight or weights; to load down; to make heavy; to attach weights to; as, to weight a horse or a jockey at a race; to weight a whip handle.
The arrows of satire, . . . weighted with sense.
Weight
To assign a weight to; to express by a number the probable accuracy of, as an observation. See Weight of observations, under Weight.
Weight
To load (fabrics) as with barite, to increase the weight, etc.
Weight
To assign a numerical value expressing relative importance to (a measurement), to be multiplied by the value of the measurement in determining averages or other aggregate quantities; as, they weighted part one of the test twice as heavily as part 2.
Weight
The vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity
Weight
Sports equipment used in calisthenic exercises and weightlifting; a weight that is not attached to anything and is raised and lowered by use of the hands and arms
Weight
The relative importance granted to something;
His opinion carries great weight
Weight
An artifact that is heavy
Weight
An oppressive feeling of heavy force;
Bowed down by the weight of responsibility
Weight
A system of units used to express the weight of something
Weight
A unit used to measure weight;
He placed two weights in the scale pan
Weight
(statistics) a coefficient assigned to elements of a frequency distribution in order to represent their relative importance
Weight
Weight down with a load
Weight
Present with a bias;
He biased his presentation so as to please the share holders
Common Curiosities
How does weight differ from a physical perspective?
Weight is a physical measurement of mass influenced by gravity, independent of personal feelings or circumstances.
What does it mean to carry a burden?
Carrying a burden means to bear an emotional, psychological, or responsibility-related load that causes stress or worry.
Is weight always negative?
No, weight is neutral; it can be either beneficial or detrimental depending on the context, such as in engineering or fitness.
Are there units to measure a burden?
No, burdens are subjective and cannot be quantified in standard units like physical weight can.
Can a burden be shared?
Yes, sharing a burden with others can provide emotional support and distribute responsibilities, lessening its impact.
How can one alleviate a burden?
Alleviating a burden may involve seeking help, finding practical solutions, or adjusting one's perspective on the situation.
Do burdens affect everyone the same way?
No, the impact of a burden varies widely among individuals based on personal resilience, circumstances, and support systems.
Can physical weight be a burden?
Yes, in a metaphorical sense, physical weight can become a 'burden' if it causes stress or difficulty, such as carrying a heavy load.
Can the concept of weight have metaphorical meanings?
Yes, weight can metaphorically refer to the importance or influence of something, such as the "weight of one's words."
What's an example of a burden that's not emotional?
Practical responsibilities, such as financial obligations or caregiving, can also be considered burdens.
How do professionals deal with the concept of weight?
In fields like engineering and physics, professionals deal with weight as a critical factor in calculations, design, and functionality.
Is it possible to measure the impact of a burden?
While not quantifiable like weight, the impact of a burden can be assessed through its effects on an individual's well-being and performance.
How do cultural perceptions of burden vary?
Cultural norms and values can influence how burdens are perceived, shared, and addressed within communities.
Can technological advancements reduce physical weight?
Yes, advancements in materials and design can lead to lighter, more efficient products and structures.
What role does empathy play in understanding burdens?
Empathy is crucial for recognizing and responding to the burdens others carry, facilitating support and connection.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
