English Reference
Idiom idiom

weight of the world


The distressing combined burden of the problems, doubts, imperfections, and responsibilities associated with human existence.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

“He looks like he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders.”

“I feel the weight of the world when I think about my future.”

“Does he always carry the weight of the world during exam season?”

CONTEXTUAL

“After the company announced the layoffs, the manager walked around with the weight of the world on his shoulders.”

“You look like you are carrying the weight of the world after that long phone call with your parents.”

“The young doctor felt the weight of the world as she prepared for her first solo surgery in the morning.”

“The new president felt the weight of the world as he sat alone in his office, realizing how many lives depended on his next decision.”

COMPLEX

“Watching the news of the global crisis, she felt the weight of the world pressing down upon her, making even simple tasks feel impossible.”


An allusion to the myth of Atlas, the Titan condemned to carry the weight of the celestial spheres upon his shoulders. The figure serves as the archetype for the enduring of immense and solitary pressure.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    all over the world

    throughout the world, everywhere, worldwide, globally.

  2. 02

    best of both worlds

    A combination of two seemingly contradictory benefits.

  3. 03

    carry one's weight

    To contribute or produce one's fair share, as of work, money, etc.

  4. 04

    come into the world

    To be born.

  5. 05

    coming into the world

    The act of being born; a birth.

  6. 06

    dead to the world

    Sound asleep.

  7. 07

    edge of the world

    A very remote place.

  8. 08

    end of the world

    Any change that seems catastrophic or devastating.

Last updated August 10, 2026