Subscriber login


Forgot your password?

Library card login

Other

weigh1

Pronunciation: /weɪ/
Translate weigh | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of weigh

verb

[with object]
  • 1find out how heavy (someone or something) is, typically using scales:weigh yourself on the day you begin the diet the vendor weighed the vegetables
  • have a specified weight:when the twins were born they weighed ten pounds
  • balance in the hands to guess or as if to guess the weight of:she picked up the brick and weighed it in her right hand
  • (weigh something out) measure and take from a larger quantity of a substance a portion of a particular weight:she weighed out two ounces of loose tobacco
  • 2assess the nature or importance of, especially with a view to a decision or action:the consequences of the move would need to be very carefully weighed
  • (weigh something against) compare the importance of one factor with that of (another):they need to weigh benefit against risk
  • [no object] influence a decision or action; be considered important:arguments which weighed in favour of publication the evidence weighed against him

Phrases

weigh anchor

see anchor.

weigh one's words

carefully choose the way one expresses something.

Phrasal Verbs

weigh someone down

be heavy and cumbersome to someone:my waders and fishing gear weighed me down
be oppressive or burdensome to someone:she was weighed down by the responsibility of looking after her sisters

weigh in

  • 1(of a boxer or jockey) be officially weighed before or after a contest: Mason weighed in at 17st 10 lb
  • 2 informal make a forceful contribution to a competition or argument:the dispute turned nastier when Steward weighed in the paper’s editor weighed in with criticism of the president

weigh in at

be of (a specified weight): I had been putting on weight until I weighed in at 12 stone 3 pounds
cost (a specified amount): the car weighs in at £10,270

weigh into

informal
join in forcefully or enthusiastically:they weighed into the election campaign
attack physically or verbally:he weighed into the companies for their high costs

weigh on

be depressing or burdensome to:his unhappiness would weigh on my mind so much

weigh out

(of a jockey) be weighed before a race.

weigh someone/thing up

carefully assess someone or something:the coach weighed up his team’s opponents

Derivatives

weighable

adjective

weigher

noun

Origin:

Old English wegan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch wegen 'weigh', German bewegen 'move', from an Indo-European root shared by Latin vehere 'convey'. Early senses included 'transport from one place to another' and 'raise up'

weigh in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of weigh in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

  |  Cite
Oxford Dictionaries Pro

For Oxford's best resources for writers, plus thesaurus, audio, and 1.9m examples.

GET PRO ►

Shop for an Oxford dictionary
Find the perfect Oxford dictionary for you in our online shop.
SHOP NOW ►

Word of the day

cur

/ kər /
noun
an aggressive dog or one that is in poor condition …