Weight Definition and Meaning
By Fiza Rafique & Maham Liaqat — Published on March 26, 2024
Weight refers to the measure of how heavy something is, often determined by the force of gravity acting on it. e.g., The weight of the package was too much for a standard shipment.
Table of Contents
Weight Definitions
The quantity representing the amount of matter in an object, typically in kilograms or pounds.
The weight of the elephant is measured in tons.
The degree to which something is regarded as important or influential.
His opinion carries a lot of weight in the committee.
An object used to keep papers from being scattered by the wind.
She used a decorative weight to hold down her documents.
Objects like dumbbells or barbells used for exercise.
He added more weight to the barbell before his next lift.
The downward force exerted by an object due to gravity.
The bridge is designed to withstand the weight of heavy vehicles.
The emphasis or value given to a particular piece of data or evidence.
In statistical analysis, different weights are given to various factors.
A heavy object attached to a fishing line to sink the bait.
He attached a weight to his fishing line to reach deeper waters.
An item with significant mass.
He lifted the weight with great effort.
Something that is emotionally or mentally burdensome.
The weight of the decision rested heavily on her shoulders.
A standard measure used to quantify mass, such as a pound or kilogram.
She purchased five weights of flour for the bakery.
A measure of the heaviness of an object
A contest to guess the weight of a pig.
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.
A unit measure of gravitational force
A table of weights and measures.
A system of such measures
Avoirdupois weight.
Troy weight.
A metallic solid used as a standard of comparison in weighing.
An object used to hold something else down.
A counterbalance in a machine.
(Sports) A heavy object, such as a dumbbell, lifted for exercise or in athletic competition.
Excessive fat; corpulence
Exercising in order to lose 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.
Oppressiveness; pressure
The weight of responsibilities.
The greater part; preponderance
The weight of the evidence is against the defendant.
Influence, importance, or authority
Her approval carried great weight.
Ponderous quality
The weight of the speaker's words.
(Sports) A classification according to comparative lightness or heaviness. Often used in combination
A heavyweight boxer.
The heaviness or thickness of a fabric in relation to a particular season or use. Often used in combination
A summerweight jacket.
A measure of the relative thickness of yarn.
To make heavy or heavier
Our backpacks were weighted down with food and other essentials.
To cause to feel concerned, sad, or preoccupied; burden or oppress
He was weighted with guilt.
To increase the weight or body of (fabrics) by treating with chemicals.
(Statistics) To assign weights or a weight to.
To cause to have a slant or bias
Weighted the rules in favor of homeowners.
(Sports) To assign to (a horse) the weight it must carry as a handicap in a race.
The force on an object due to the gravitational attraction between it and the Earth (or whatever astronomical object it is primarily influenced by).
An object used to make something heavier.
A standardized block of metal used in a balance to measure the mass of another object.
Importance or influence.
(weightlifting) An object, such as a weight plate or barbell, used for strength training.
He's working out with weights.
(lubricants) viscosity rating.
(physics) Mass (atomic weight, molecular weight, etc.) in restricted circumstances
Synonym of mass}} {{qualifier
(measurement) Mass (net weight, troy weight, carat weight, etc.).
(statistics) A variable which multiplies a value for ease of statistical manipulation.
(topology) The smallest cardinality of a base.
(typography) The boldness of a font; the relative thickness of its strokes.
(visual art) The relative thickness of a drawn rule or painted brushstroke, line weight.
(visual art) The illusion of mass.
(visual art) The thickness and opacity of paint.
Pressure; burden.
The weight of care or business
The resistance against which a machine acts, as opposed to the power which moves it.
Shipments of (often illegal) drugs.
He was pushing weight.
One pound of drugs, especially cannabis.
Money.
Weight class
(transitive) To add weight to something; to make something heavier.
To load (fabrics) with barite, etc. to increase the weight.
(transitive) To load, burden or oppress someone.
To assign weights to individual statistics.
(transitive) To bias something; to slant.
To handicap a horse with a specified weight.
To give a certain amount of force to a throw, kick, hit, etc.
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.
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.
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.
Importance; power; influence; efficacy; consequence; moment; impressiveness; as, a consideration of vast weight.
In such a point of weight, so near mine honor.
A scale, or graduated standard, of heaviness; a mode of estimating weight; as, avoirdupois weight; troy weight; apothecaries' weight.
A ponderous mass; something heavy; as, a clock weight; a paper weight.
A man leapeth better with weights in his hands.
A definite mass of iron, lead, brass, or other metal, to be used for ascertaining the weight of other bodies; as, an ounce weight.
The resistance against which a machine acts, as opposed to the power which moves it.
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.
To assign a weight to; to express by a number the probable accuracy of, as an observation. See Weight of observations, under Weight.
To load (fabrics) as with barite, to increase the weight, etc.
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.
The vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity
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
The relative importance granted to something;
His opinion carries great weight
An artifact that is heavy
An oppressive feeling of heavy force;
Bowed down by the weight of responsibility
A system of units used to express the weight of something
A unit used to measure weight;
He placed two weights in the scale pan
(statistics) a coefficient assigned to elements of a frequency distribution in order to represent their relative importance
Weight down with a load
Present with a bias;
He biased his presentation so as to please the share holders
Weight Snonyms
Heft
The weight or heaviness of something.
The heft of the ancient tome was surprising.
Gravity
The force that attracts a body toward the center of the earth.
Gravity ensures that we stay grounded despite the planet's rotation.
Significance
The quality of being worthy of attention or importance.
The significance of the event was recognized by all.
Mass
The quantity of matter that a body contains.
The mass of the planet is measured in sextillions of kilograms.
Pressure
The continuous physical force exerted on or against an object.
The pressure at the bottom of the ocean is immense.
Burden
Something that is emotionally difficult to bear.
The burden of leadership is not easy to carry.
Load
The amount of weight carried or supported.
The truck was filled with a heavy load of bricks.
Importance
The quality of being important or significant.
The importance of the discovery was unparalleled.
Density
The degree of compactness of a substance.
The density of lead makes it an effective shield against radiation.
Influence
The capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something.
Her influence on the project was evident in its success.
Weight Idioms & Phrases
Pull one's weight
To do one's fair share of work.
Every team member needs to pull their weight for the project to succeed.
Carry the weight of the world
To feel extremely stressed or burdened.
She felt like she was carrying the weight of the world with her responsibilities.
Weight off one's shoulders
Relief from a burden or stress.
Completing the project was a weight off his shoulders.
Punch above one's weight
To perform better than expected given one's size or status.
The small company punched above its weight in the industry.
Worth its weight in gold
Extremely valuable or useful.
Good advice is often worth its weight in gold.
Throw one's weight around
To use one's influence or authority to dominate others.
He's known to throw his weight around in meetings.
Tip the scales/weight
To cause a change or difference in a situation.
His testimony could tip the scales in the trial.
Gain weight
To increase in body mass.
She gained weight during the holidays.
Under weight
Weighing less than is normal, healthy, or required.
The rescued animal was severely underweight.
Weight of evidence
The persuasiveness of evidence in making a case.
The weight of evidence was against the defendant.
Lose weight
To reduce one's body mass.
He joined the gym to lose weight.
Make weight
To achieve a certain weight, especially for a sporting event.
The boxer had to make weight before the fight.
Weightlifting
The sport or activity of lifting heavy weights.
Weightlifting requires both strength and technique.
Dead weight
Something or someone that is burdensome and contributes nothing.
The inefficient processes were dead weight to the company.
Weighty decision
A decision that is very important and deserves a lot of thought.
Choosing a career path is a weighty decision.
Weight in gold
Used to describe something extremely valuable.
Trustworthy friends are worth their weight in gold.
The weight of one's words
The importance or influence of what someone says.
Leaders must understand the weight of their words.
Weight-bearing exercise
Physical activity that forces the body to support weight, strengthening bones and muscles.
Walking and running are good weight-bearing exercises.
Weight-watchers
People who monitor their weight and try to maintain or reduce it.
As weight-watchers, they opted for a salad instead of fast food.
Weight Example Sentences
He struggled to pull his weight during the group project.
She felt the weight of her decisions as she took on the new role.
The evidence presented added weight to their argument.
The weight of the package exceeded the limit for standard shipping.
The weight of the snow caused the roof to collapse.
He added more weight to his exercise routine to increase the challenge.
The athlete managed to lift a weight twice his size.
Her words carried a lot of weight among her peers.
Losing weight was his primary goal for the year.
The bridge is designed to support a significant weight.
The sculpture was solid, with considerable weight to it.
Feeling relieved, she described it as a weight lifted off her shoulders.
The weight of the evidence was enough to secure a conviction.
Common Curiosities
Why is it called "weight"?
"Weight" comes from the Old English "gewiht" and the Proto-Germanic "*wihti-", meaning "a measure of weight." It originally referred to the force by which an object is drawn toward the Earth.
How do we divide "weight" into syllables?
Since "weight" has only one syllable, it is not divided.
How many syllables are in "weight"?
"Weight" has one syllable.
What is a stressed syllable in "weight"?
In the word "weight," the single syllable "weight" is stressed.
What is the first form of "weight"?
As a noun, "weight" remains "weight." As a verb, the first (base) form is "weight," e.g., "to weight something down."
What is the pronunciation of "weight"?
"Weight" is pronounced as /weɪt/.
What is the third form of "weight"?
As a verb, the third (past participle) form is also "weighted," used in perfect tenses, e.g., "The scales have been weighted."
What is another term for "weight"?
Another term for "weight" could be "mass" when referring to the physical property, or "importance" when referring to significance.
What is the root word of "weight"?
The root word of "weight" is the Old English "gewiht," related to the concept of heaviness or mass.
What part of speech is "weight"?
"Weight" is primarily a noun but can also be used as a verb.
What is the verb form of "weight"?
"Weight" primarily functions as a noun, but "to weight" can be used as a verb, meaning to add weight to something or consider something heavily.
How is "weight" used in a sentence?
"Weight" can refer to the heaviness of an object or the importance of something, e.g., The weight of the package made it difficult to carry.
Is "weight" a noun or adjective?
"Weight" is primarily a noun, but it can function as an adjective in compound nouns, such as "weight limit" or "weight class."
Is "weight" an abstract noun?
"Weight" can be both concrete, referring to physical mass, and abstract, referring to the concept of importance or burden.
Is "weight" a collective noun?
No, "weight" is not typically used as a collective noun.
Is the "weight" term a metaphor?
"Weight" can be used metaphorically, especially when referring to the emotional or psychological burden, e.g., "the weight of responsibility."
Is the word "weight" imperative?
"Weight" as a verb can be used in the imperative form, as in giving a command, e.g., "Weight the papers down to prevent them from blowing away."
Which vowel is used before "weight"?
The use of vowels before "weight" depends on the context; there is no specific rule.
What is the plural form of "weight"?
The plural form of "weight" is "weights," especially when referring to objects used for measurement or exercise.
Is "weight" a vowel or consonant?
The word "weight" begins with a consonant 'w'.
Is the word "weight" a Gerund?
No, "weight" is not a gerund. The gerund form of the verb "to weight" would be "weighting."
What is the second form of "weight"?
As a verb, the second (past) form of "weight" is "weighted," e.g., "He weighted the balloons down."
What is the singular form of "weight"?
The singular form is "weight."
Is "weight" a negative or positive word?
"Weight" is neutral; it can have positive, negative, or neutral connotations depending on the context.
Is the word “weight” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
"Weight" can serve as a direct object in sentences like "He measured the weight."
Which determiner is used with "weight"?
Determiners like "the," "a," and "my" can be used with "weight," depending on the context, e.g., "the weight of the object," "a weight on my shoulders."
Which preposition is used with "weight"?
Prepositions like "of," "in," and "on" are commonly used with "weight," e.g., "the weight of the box," "weight in kilograms," "put weight on a leg."
Which article is used with "weight"?
Both the definite article "the" and indefinite articles "a" or "an" can be used with "weight," depending on the context, e.g., "the weight of evidence," "a weight lifted."
What is the opposite of "weight"?
The opposite of "weight" could be "lightness" or "insignificance," depending on the context.
Is "weight" an adverb?
No, "weight" is not an adverb.
Is "weight" a countable noun?
Yes, "weight" can be a countable noun, as in "She lifted weights at the gym."
Which conjunction is used with "weight"?
Conjunctions like "and," "but," and "or" can be used with "weight," depending on the sentence structure, e.g., "weight and balance," "weight but not bulk," "weight or volume."
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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.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
