What does "overweight" mean?

1. (body weight) weighing more than is healthy for your height. 2. (too heavy for rules) weighing more than the legal or safe limit. 3. (finance/investing) holding more of a specific investment than is typical or average. 4. (excess weight) the state of weighing too much, or the extra weight itself. 5. (to give too much importance) to give something more importance or value than it deserves.

How do you use "overweight"?

Usually follows the verb 'to be' and takes the preposition 'on'.

overweight

adj. · n. · v.

US //ˌoʊvɝˈweɪt// over·weight

1 body weight (adj.)
B1 Intermediate Medicine

weighing more than is healthy for your height.

having a body weight above a level considered healthy or normal for a given height.

Example

The doctor suggested a new exercise plan because I am slightly overweight.

Example

Clinical studies indicate that being significantly overweight can increase the risk of developing chronic cardiovascular conditions later in life.
- heavy
- stout
- underweight
- slim
2 too heavy for rules (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

weighing more than the legal or safe limit.

exceeding a weight limit established by law, safety regulations, or commercial standards.

Example

The truck was stopped by police because it was overweight for that bridge.

Example

The airline charged an additional fee because my checked luggage was overweight by three kilograms.
- heavy

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3 finance/investing (adj.)
C1 Advanced Technical Computing

holding more of a specific investment than is typical or average.

holding a higher proportion of a specific security or sector than is represented in a benchmark index.

Example

The fund manager decided to be overweight on tech stocks this year.

Example

The analyst recommended that investors remain overweight on emerging markets despite the recent currency fluctuations.

Usage

Usually follows the verb 'to be' and takes the preposition 'on'.
- underweight
4 excess weight (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

the state of weighing too much, or the extra weight itself.

the condition of being over a standard weight or the amount of weight that exceeds a limit.

Example

He struggled with overweight for most of his adult life.

Example

The structural integrity of the floor was compromised by the sheer overweight of the industrial machinery placed upon it.
- excess
- surplus
5 to give too much importance (v.)
C1 Advanced Academic

to give something more importance or value than it deserves.

to assign excessive importance, value, or statistical weight to a particular factor.

Example

You shouldn't overweight the results of just one small test.

Example

The researchers were careful not to overweight the anecdotal evidence when drawing their final conclusions about the drug's efficacy.
- overemphasize
- overvalue
- underweight

Origin

From over- + weight.