weight-bearing

noun

weight-bear·​ing ˈwāt-ˌber-iŋ 

: the act or state of supporting or withstanding the weight of something (such as a building or the body)

The involved bones are deformed by the stress of weight-bearing or even by the normal pull of attached muscles.

—Sue Rodwell Williams

If Iguanodon walked on all fours, then the hand and wrist ought to be adapted for weight-bearing.

—Pat Shipman

—usually used before another noun

For bones, weight-bearing activities like walking, running and weight lifting are especially important.

—Claudia Kalb

An athlete who suffers an injury to a major weight-bearing joint, such as the hip or knee, is five to seven times more likely to develop degenerative arthritis than an average member of the population.

—William Nack

Engineers typically use strain gauges to measure the stresses on automobile parts, chains, bridges and other weight-bearing objects.

—Discover

… structural steel, elevators and telephones were emancipating urban architecture from limits imposed by the weight-bearing capacity of stone walls and the stair-climbing endurance of people.

—George F. Will

Examples of weight-bearing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Regular weight-bearing and strength training exercises also help build and maintain bone strength. — Suchandrima Bhowmik, Health, 25 June 2026

This is why weight-bearing and resistance exercises are so important for maintaining bone health. — Priya Bhardwaj, The Conversation, 22 June 2026

Anyone seeking out a Russian novel is in the market for something weight-bearing, the kind of book that could keep a person occupied on a long march to Siberia. — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 10 June 2026

On Earth, walking and carrying your own weight, as well as doing weight-bearing and resistance exercises (such as squats, lifting weights, walking, running), put stress on bones to promote bone-building. — Allison Aubrey, NPR, 8 June 2026

Beyond diet, weight-bearing exercise, adequate calcium and vitamin D intake, and limiting alcohol are all backed by current evidence for maintaining bone density. — Allison Palmer june 4, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026

Those cells are highly responsive to mechanical stress—the reason weight-bearing exercise strengthens the skeleton—and the device is designed to imitate that signal through subtle vibration. — Alice Gregory, Vogue, 11 May 2026

To benefit our bones, that exercise should be weight-bearing and, if possible, involve impact. — Adam Cohen, Oklahoman, 3 Mar. 2026

A number of studies have supported the use of weight-bearing and resistance training in general to prevent bone loss and promote bone health. — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for weight-bearing

• childbearing
• comparing
• declaring
• despairing
• forbearing
• impairing
• preparing
• repairing
• ridesharing
• timesharing
• uncaring
• unerring