weight

noun

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\ ˈwāt

Definition of weight

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

2a : 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

3a : 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

4a : something heavy : load

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

5a : burden, pressure the weight of their responsibilities

b : the quality or state of being ponderous

c : corpulence

6a : 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

7a : 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

weight

verb

weighted; weighting; weights

Definition of weight (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to oppress with a burden weighted down with cares

2a : to load or make heavy with or as if with a weight

b : to increase in heaviness by adding an ingredient

3a : weigh sense 1

b : to feel the weight of : heft

4 : to assign a statistical weight to

5 : to cause to incline in a particular direction by manipulation the tax structure … which was weighted so heavily in favor of the upper classes— A. S. Link

6 : to shift the burden of weight upon weight the inside ski

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Phrases Containing weight Learn More About weight

Choose the Right Synonym for weight

Noun

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. used her influence to get the bill passed authority implies the power of winning devotion or allegiance or of compelling acceptance and belief. his opinions lacked authority prestige implies the ascendancy given by conspicuous excellence or reputation for superiority. the prestige of the newspaper weight implies measurable or decisive influence in determining acts or choices. their wishes obviously carried much weight credit suggests influence that arises from the confidence of others. his credit with the press

Examples of weight in a Sentence

Noun Please indicate your height and weight on the form. 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. Verb I weighted the fishing line with a lead sinker. weighted the car with a ton of furniture and then headed off for college See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun That term in this situation carries particular weight. — The Salt Lake Tribune, 3 May 2022 But what carries more weight for me is the notion Eggers’ films are companion pieces to these larger IP films, working in context with our stories of superheroes and Jedi. — Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Apr. 2022 In a one-run game, every call carries weight – Umpire Scorecards determined that Hernández's judgment resulted in +0.77 runs for Milwaukee. — Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2022 But Dixon’s devotion to the gospel of crypto, and willingness to stick to it during down times, still carries unique weight. — Alex Konrad, Forbes, 12 Apr. 2022 That carries no legal weight and could even backfire because it will be perceived as political. — Zachary B. Wolf, CNN, 11 Apr. 2022 The tie-breaker for a lot of folks becomes the sides, and none carries more weight and influence than potato salad. — Chuck Blount, San Antonio Express-News, 5 Apr. 2022 Given the way the pandemic has disrupted the last two years, that carries extra weight. — Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2022 Biden’s visit to the country at the end of his trip carries powerful symbolic weight for reaffirming the U.S. commitment to NATO and to Poland, says Steven Durlauf, a professor at University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. — Brian Bennett, Time, 23 Mar. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The heft adds to the luxury impression although some people could find the size and weight a little on the chunky size. — Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 10 Apr. 2022 Rather than weighting all Pell students equally, the formula could weight a student receiving a $6,000 Pell Grant six times higher than a student receiving a $1,000 Pell Grant. — Preston Cooper, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2022 Males typically weight around 8 pounds and are 22 inches in length. — The Salt Lake Tribune, 15 Feb. 2022 The whales, which can weight 135,000 pounds have been a focus of conservationists for generations. — Patrick Whittle, USA TODAY, 27 Oct. 2021 Furthermore, management notes that uncertainty related to COVID-19, labor availability, and supply chain disruptions continue to weight on results. — David Trainer, Forbes, 31 Jan. 2022 Another approach would be to increase the amount of beef that is being produced by farming breeds of cows that convert feed to weight more efficiently. — Matt Reynolds, Wired, 17 Jan. 2022 The batteries in motorcycles Zaiser will be competing with from Zero and others can weight hundreds of pounds and so far, no major electric motorcycle maker features a quick-swap or removable battery. — Bill Roberson, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2022 Progressive reformers cribbed its structure from the Populist Party’s radical subtreasury plan, which sought to weight currency value to labor and crop exchanges. — Chris Lehmann, The New Republic, 19 Jan. 2022 See More

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.