overweight

noun

over·weight | \ˈō-vər-ˌwāt,

sense 2 is usually ˌō-vər-ˈwāt\

Definition of overweight

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : weight over and above what is required or allowed

2 : excessive or burdensome weight

overweight

verb

over·weight | \ˌō-vər-ˈwāt

overweighted; overweighting; overweights

Definition of overweight (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to give too much weight or consideration to

2 : to weight excessively

overweight

adjective

over·weight | \ˌō-vər-ˈwāt

Definition of overweight (Entry 3 of 3)

: exceeding expected, normal, or proper weight especially : exceeding the bodily weight normal for one's age, height, and build

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about overweight

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Synonyms & Antonyms for overweight

Synonyms: Adjective

blubbery, chubby, corpulent, fat, fleshy, full, gross, lardy, obese, plump, podgy [chiefly British], portly, pudgy, replete, roly-poly, rotund, round, tubby

Antonyms: Adjective

lean, skinny, slender, slim, spare, thin

Examples of overweight in a Sentence

Adjective

He looked to be at least 20 pounds overweight. an overweight person who had difficulty running even a short distance

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

She maybe smart, and an activist but for fat and overweight shouldn’t be glorified ! — Elizabeth Zwirz, Fox News, "Self magazine features plus-size model Tess Holliday on first digital cover," 1 July 2018 Some larger nations -- such as the United Kingdom and Germany -- did not partake in the study but have their own surveillance systems to track overweight and obesity prevalence in children. — Mark Lieber, CNN, "Childhood obesity is high in home of Mediterranean diet," 29 May 2018 Abbas, who is a heavy smoker and overweight, has a long history of health issues, ranging from heart trouble to a bout with prostate cancer a decade ago. — Ian Deitch, USA TODAY, "Reports: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas hospitalized with fever," 20 May 2018 Their 15-year-old daughter, Elsbeth, is overweight, soon to be bulimic, and infatuated with a bad-boy photographer. — Wendy Smith, BostonGlobe.com, "Post-Holocaust life follows an unsurprising American trajectory," 8 June 2018 Though shedding pounds for people who are overweight is often suggested, the researchers also found that even without weight loss, changing to a healthier diet helps stave off diabetes. — Len Canter, chicagotribune.com, "Using diet to stave off diabetes," 14 May 2018 But that defeat–to a tough, plodding, roughhousing opponent who came in overweight and utilized what could fairly be described as questionable tactics–only underscored the importance of Lomachenko’s footwork. — Greg Bishop, SI.com, "Vasiliy Lomachenko's Rise to Boxing's Upper Echelon Began in Dance Classes Growing Up in Ukraine," 9 May 2018 Women who didn't follow any of the healthy lifestyle factors had an average BMI of 29.8, just shy of the border between overweight and obesity. — Karen Kaplan, latimes.com, "These five healthy habits could extend your life by a dozen years or more, study says," 30 Apr. 2018 The records from the colonoscopy, performed in November 2016, showed that the Mobile senator was about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed 190 pounds, which put his body mass index at the lower range of overweight. — Howard Koplowitz, AL.com, "GOP gubernatorial hopeful Bill Hightower releases medical records, urges rivals to follow suit," 27 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Consider the problem posed by the abundance of scales for assessing gaming disorders, many of which overweight the clinical relevance of time spent gaming. — Robbie Gonzalez, WIRED, "WHO Calls Gaming Disorder an Illness. Experts Say Not So Fast," 19 June 2018 The fact that American women are more likely to be overweight may also add to health care costs, says Dr. Jha. — Amanda Macmillan, Health.com, "Even Kate Middleton's Luxury Hospital Stay Costs Less Than a Typical Birth in America," 26 Apr. 2018 The poll, conducted by Glen Bolger of Public Opinion Strategies for a Tennessee business group and obtained by POLITICO, shows Bredesen up 47 to 45, despite a sample that was overweighted with Republicans. — Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "‘Ego-Driven, Tired Old Man’ Corker Considers Un-Retirement From Senate," 13 Feb. 2018 So if investment-grade corporate bonds have a high momentum score, the fund will overweight them relative to its benchmark, the Barclays Capital Aggregate Bond Index, and vice versa if the score is low. — Gerrard Cowan, WSJ, "A Bond ETF for the Momentum-Hungry," 9 July 2017 The portfolio managers then eliminate the those with the worst emissions, de-emphasize the lesser performers and overweight the better ones. — Tim Gray, New York Times, "Funds That Can Put Your Investments on a Low-Carbon Diet," 13 Oct. 2017 But the U.S.C./LAT poll had terrible luck: The single most overweighted person in the survey was unrepresentative of his demographic group. — Nate Cohn, New York Times, "How One 19-Year-Old Illinois Man Is Distorting National Polling Averages," 12 Oct. 2016 Though Brazilian financial assets rebounded to end the week, the political chaos has slammed a number of mutual funds that overweight the region. — Luke Kawa, Bloomberg.com, "Five Things You Need to Know to Start Your Day," 21 May 2017 It was overweighted, the wheelbarrow, so everything kind of spilled everywhere. — Sophie Hirsh, Condé Nast Traveler, "Princess Diana Honored With New Kensington Palace Garden," 13 Apr. 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

But for me, then a young girl who was not actually overweight but merely settling into her adult body, that positive lesson came with its fair share of negatives. — Kate Branch, Vogue, "Weight Watchers Can Change Its Name—But for This Reformed Dieter, It Still Says “Thinner Is Better”," 27 Sep. 2018 And regarding colon cancer, in a research study of more than a million Israeli men, those who were overweight at ages 16-19 had a 1.5 fold increased risk of developing colon cancer by age 48. — Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, "Don't call 'baby fat' cute. Childhood obesity increases your kids' risk of chronic disease," 26 Apr. 2018 In addition to excess growth during infancy, the study looked at whether children exposed to very high levels of caffeine during pregnancy were more likely to become overweight during childhood. — Mark Lieber, CNN, "Caffeine in pregnancy linked to childhood weight gain in new study," 23 Apr. 2018 Most of the participants were white men with an average age of 49, and about 70 percent were overweight or obese. — Annie Zak, Anchorage Daily News, "Study: Alaska salmon gillnet fishermen face high rate of health issues," 15 June 2018 And overweight dogs have shorter life expectancies, as well as higher risk of hip issues and other ailments. — Maggie Gordon, Houston Chronicle, "More than half of American dogs are overweight. Including mine, apparently.," 9 July 2018 In the study, researchers used data from an English health survey to analyze people who had a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher (which, despite the fact that BMI is a flawed measurement, is classified as overweight or obese). — refinery29.com, "FYI, Body Positivity Is Not "Dangerous" Or Bad For Your Health," 27 June 2018 David, who was overweight as a youngster and looked up to his big brother, always trained, but not consistently. — Greg Moore, azcentral, "Moore: Phoenix fighters David, Jose Benavidez Jr. might be boxing's next big stars," 1 May 2018 In an alternative approach to weight loss, Dr. David Prologo, an interventional radiologist from Emory University School of Medicine, and his colleagues froze a nerve called the posterior vagal trunk in 10 people who were significantly overweight. — Alexandra Sifferlin, Time, "An Experimental Weight Loss Procedure Literally Freezes Hunger Signals," 21 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'overweight.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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The first known use of overweight was in 1552

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More Definitions for overweight

overweight

adjective

Financial Definition of overweight

What It Is

Overweight refers to a given security which has been disproportionately allocated in an investment portfolio relative to a benchmark. It is the opposite of underweight.

How It Works

Investment portfolios are commonly built up and diversified according to a benchmark index. Any component of a given portfolio which outweighs the percentage suggested by the benchmark is described as overweight. For instance, if 50% of a portfolio is comprised of equity when the suggested equity allocation is only 35%, the equity component is considered overweight.

Overweight should not be confused with underweight, which describes a security or portfolio component which has been allocated at a lower percentage than the benchmark suggestion.

Why It Matters

Investors and fund managers will deliberately make certain portfolio components or securities overweight if they forecast disproportionate gains in the near future. If they are correct, the overweight component will help boost the overall performance of the portfolio.

Source: Investing Answers

overweight

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of overweight

: weighing more than the normal or expected amount : too heavy

See the full definition for overweight in the English Language Learners Dictionary

overweight

adjective

over·weight | \ˌō-vər-ˈwāt

Kids Definition of overweight

: weighing more than is normal, necessary, or allowed an overweight suitcase

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overweight

adjective

over·weight | \-ˈwāt

Medical Definition of overweight

: weighing in excess of the normal for one's age, height, and build overweight adolescents overweight adults typically have a body mass index of 25 to 29.9