over·weight
ˈō-vər-ˌwāt 
sense 2 is usually
ˌō-vər-ˈwāt
1
: weight over and above what is required or allowed
2
: excessive or burdensome weight
over·weight
ˌō-vər-ˈwāt
overweighted; overweighting; overweights
over·weight
ˌō-vər-ˈwāt
: exceeding expected, normal, or proper weight
especially
: exceeding the bodily weight normal for one's age, height, and build
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
Alice Park, Time, 23 Dec. 2025
JPMorgan initiates Oculis Holding at overweight JPMorgan says the biotech company is well positioned.
—Michael Bloom, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2025
Darla Mercado, Cfp®, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2025
Methodologically, the piece leans on a few entry points (one large Discord server; a prominent guide, by the username Gooncultist; a questionnaire) and in doing so, overweights the gooning scene’s performative edge.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Fred Imbert, CNBC, 2 Jan. 2026
The trial included roughly 450 adults with obesity or who were overweight and had knee osteoarthritis.
—Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overweight
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
The pill will contain 25 mg of semaglutide—the same compound in the injectable version of Wegovy—to treat overweight or obesity, either for people who use the pills to start a weight-loss program or for those who use them to maintain weight loss.
—Alice Park, Time, 23 Dec. 2025
JPMorgan initiates Oculis Holding at overweight JPMorgan says the biotech company is well positioned.
—Michael Bloom, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2025
Verb
Attractive valuation JPMorgan analyst Anthony Paolone lifted his rating on Federal Realty to overweight from neutral, also pointing to the company’s move toward snapping up shopping centers in high income and high growth markets.
—Darla Mercado, Cfp®, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2025
Methodologically, the piece leans on a few entry points (one large Discord server; a prominent guide, by the username Gooncultist; a questionnaire) and in doing so, overweights the gooning scene’s performative edge.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
Vertiv — Shares popped 8% after Barclays upgraded the data center infrastructure provider to an overweight rating from equal weight.
—Fred Imbert, CNBC, 2 Jan. 2026
The trial included roughly 450 adults with obesity or who were overweight and had knee osteoarthritis.
—Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overweight
Cite this Entry
“Overweight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overweight. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
overweight
1 of 2 noun
over·weight
ˈō-vər-ˌwāt
sense 2 is usually ˌō-vər-ˈwāt
1
: weight above what is required or allowed
2
: excessive or burdensome weight
overweight
2 of 2 adjective
over·weight
ˌō-vər-ˈwāt
: being more than the expected, normal, or proper weight
especially
: having greater than normal bodily weight for one's age, height, and build
Medical Definition
overweight
adjective
over·weight
-ˈwāt
: 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
overweight
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share