Definition of weightnext
1
as in heaviness
the amount that something weighs because of a back condition, I'm not allowed to lift anything with a weight of over 10 pounds

Synonyms & Similar Words

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weight

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun weight differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of weight are consequence, importance, moment, and significance. While all these words mean "a quality or aspect having great worth or significance," weight implies a judgment of the immediate relative importance of something.

the argument carried no weight with the judge

When might consequence be a better fit than weight?

The synonyms consequence and weight are sometimes interchangeable, but consequence generally implies importance because of probable or possible effects.

the style you choose is of little consequence

When is it sensible to use importance instead of weight?

In some situations, the words importance and weight are roughly equivalent. However, importance implies a value judgment of the superior worth or influence of something or someone.

a region with no cities of importance

Where would moment be a reasonable alternative to weight?

While in some cases nearly identical to weight, moment implies conspicuous or self-evident consequence.

a decision of great moment

When can significance be used instead of weight?

The words significance and weight can be used in similar contexts, but 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

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of weight
Noun
My symptoms aren't on the bowel cancer poster, other than weight loss and fatigue, but many women are tired anyway. — Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Nov. 2026 Akbar’s novel—and others like it—may turn out to be the only form available for reckoning with the politically dispossessed, the only way to insist on the weight of a life when the mechanisms of accountability have so devastatingly failed. — Literary Hub, 13 Nov. 2026
Verb
Research suggests voters tend to weight their perceptions of the economy more heavily than their personal financial circumstances when deciding whether to vote for the incumbent party. — Erin Kay Lockwood, The Conversation, 30 Oct. 2026 Equally weighting stocks ensures companies in smaller industries aren’t drowned out by massive ones, like Big Tech. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for weight
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weight
Noun
  • The 2025 Best of Beauty Award winner glides onto skin and disappears in seconds, leaving no heaviness or greasy residue behind.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The heaviness comes from the fact that the artist died in April, at age forty-six, but it’s also embedded in the paintings on view—in the bursts of fire and swirling floods that mark them.
    — Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Ly said Lennox's journey has shown their family the importance of facing challenges together.
    — Sooji Nam, CBS News, 13 Nov. 2026
  • The importance of these two enormous natural carbon sinks cannot be overstated as global temperatures rise, fueling heat waves, fires, storms, floods and droughts around the world.
    — Andrew C. Manning, The Conversation, 13 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • The state of Connecticut has one of the highest property tax burdens in the nation and among the highest costs for energy and housing.
    — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Film carries the burden of being popular in the present, but at the end of the day, the real challenge is to make something that can endure the test of time, like Vija does with her masterful work.
    — Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • Unlike many of its competitors, Gripple is entirely employee-owned, with an emphasis on benefits.
    — Jane Miller, Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 2026
  • The Success model Success Academy has a reputation for strictness – for good or bad, there is emphasis on each student’s posture, attentiveness and dress in a way there is not at traditional public schools.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 12 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • The compact pouch is designed to hold small essentials against your body, and its soft, breathable, skin-friendly fabric is a thoughtful detail for warmer destinations where extra layers aren’t practical.
    — Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Hours after the attack, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said authorities found the bodies of three of the suspect's close family members -- two women and a man -- inside of his home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, a city about 100 miles northeast of Krakow.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • This is the November 10, 2026 edition of A Billion to One, a dispatch on the money, power, and influence of technology—from the mad scientists to the megadonors.
    — Julia Black, Vanity Fair, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Because of these choices, AI answers already influence behavior, as shown by the chickenpox party examples.
    — Jessica Fishman, STAT, 10 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • Ground-breaking obesity drugs have transformed weight-loss treatment, and scientists are now investigating whether their effects could extend much further, potentially helping to protect the brain.
    — Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2026
  • The Food and Drug Administration said the risk will be added to the labeling of all GLP-1 drugs, the blockbuster medications used to treat obesity, diabetes and several other medical conditions.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 9 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Owen also told grand jurors that the same ammunition load of buckshot in one chamber and large birdshot in the other used to kill Paul Murdaugh was found loaded in weapons all over the Murdaugh property, which wasn't the case.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Nov. 2026
  • Cool water loads a growing crystal with more of the heavy form, and that preference fades as the water warms, so the contrast between neighboring minerals reveals how hot the water was.
    — Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 12 Nov. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Weight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weight. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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