weight

noun \ ˈwāt \

|Updated on: 15 Jul 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: weight in a Sentence

Definition of weight

1 a : the amount that a thing weighs

b (1) : the standard or established amount that a thing should weigh

(2) : one of the classes into which contestants in a sports event are divided according to body weight

(3) : poundage required to be carried by a horse in a handicap race

2 a : a quantity or thing weighing a fixed and usually specified amount

b : a heavy object (such as a metal ball) thrown, put, or lifted as an athletic exercise or contest

3 a : a unit of weight or mass — see Metric System Table

b : a piece of material (such as metal) of known specified weight for use in weighing articles

c : a system of related units of weight

4 a : something heavy : load

b : a heavy object to hold or press something down or to counterbalance

5 a : burden, pressure

the weight of their responsibilities

b : the quality or state of being ponderous

c : corpulence

6 a : relative heaviness : mass

b : the force with which a body is attracted toward the earth or a celestial body by gravitation and which is equal to the product of the mass and the local gravitational acceleration

7 a : the relative importance or authority accorded something

the weight of her opinions

b : measurable influence especially on others

throwing his weight behind the proposal

8 : overpowering force

9 : the quality (such as lightness) that makes a fabric or garment suitable for a particular use or season —often used in combination

summer-weight

10 : a numerical coefficient assigned to an item to express its relative importance in a frequency distribution

11 : the degree of thickness of the strokes of a type character

Weights and Measures Table

See weight defined for English-language learners

See weight defined for kids

Examples of weight in a Sentence

Please indicate your height and weight on the form.
Her weight is 105 pounds.
The boat sank under the weight of the cargo.
Those columns have to be strong enough to support the weight of the roof.
He stays in good shape by lifting weights.
I use pie weights to keep the pie crust from bubbling when I bake it.

Recent Examples of weight from the Web

The average weight loss was 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) for those with known information, Thongchai said.

— author: kaweewit kaewjinda, Anchorage Daily News, "Kids lost weight but ‘took care of themselves’ in Thai cave," 11 July 2018
The world's most honest Tinder dater sends her matches photos of her excess skin after weight loss.

— Fox News, "Woman who lost 252 pounds rejected on Tinder after sending pics of her excess skin," 10 July 2018
Other common symptoms include loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps/pain, bloating, increased gas, nausea, and fatigue.

— matthew diebel, USA TODAY, "More than 200 hit by parasite from Del Monte vegetables; symptoms can include 'explosive' bowel movements," 9 July 2018
Symptoms include frequent diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach pain or cramps, bloating, increased gas, nausea, and fatigue.

— ashley welch, CBS News, "More than 200 sickened in Del Monte vegetable outbreak," 9 July 2018
Jean Améry, Primo Levi, Eli Weisel—had penned riveting accounts of their experiences in the death camps; but most survivors were silent, still laboring under the oppressive weight of trauma and the world’s indifference.

— leslie camhi, Vogue, "Remembering Claude Lanzmann," 7 July 2018
Studies have shown that apple cider vinegar could be beneficial in lowering blood sugar, aiding in slight long term weight loss, and as a prebiotic to ease digestion.

— kyle beechey, Bon Appetit, "The Mysterious Hippie Food Brand That's Never Let Me Down," 27 June 2018
Newborns in intensive care have been found to gain weight faster when exposed to music.

— robert mccoppin, courant.com, "Music Can Call Back Loved Ones Lost In Alzheimer's Darkness," 22 June 2018
In cancers that secrete factors triggering tissue wasting, helping patients gain weight could be helpful.

— justin chen, STAT, "Muscle and fat loss may offer clues to pancreatic cancer’s deadly ways," 20 June 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of weight

Middle English wight, weght, from Old English wiht; akin to Old Norse vætt weight, Old English wegan to weigh

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

weight Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of weight

importance, consequence, moment, weight, significance mean a quality or aspect having great worth or significance. importance implies a value judgment of the superior worth or influence of something or someone.

- a region with no cities of importance

consequence generally implies importance because of probable or possible effects.

- the style you choose is of little consequence

moment implies conspicuous or self-evident consequence.

- a decision of great moment

weight implies a judgment of the immediate relative importance of something.

- the argument carried no weight with the judge

significance implies a quality or character that should mark a thing as important but that is not self-evident and may or may not be recognized.

- the treaty's significance

influence, authority, prestige, weight, credit mean power exerted over the minds or behavior of others. influence may apply to a force exercised and received consciously or unconsciously.