What does "weigh" mean?

1. (to measure weight) to measure how heavy someone or something is using a scale. 2. (to have a certain weight) to have a specific heaviness. 3. (to consider carefully) to think carefully about different facts or options before making a choice. 4. (to be important) to be important or have an influence on a decision. 5. (to lift an anchor) to lift a ship's anchor from the bottom of the sea so the ship can sail.

weigh

US //ˈweɪ// UK //wˈeɪ// weigh

1 to measure weight (v.)
A2 Elementary

to measure how heavy someone or something is using a scale.

to determine the mass of an object or person, typically using a balance or scale. Transitive use.

Example

The nurse asked me to step on the scale so she could weigh me.

Example

The laboratory technician must weigh each sample with extreme precision before beginning the chemical analysis.
- measure
- scale
2 to have a certain weight (v.)
A2 Elementary

to have a specific heaviness.

to have a specified weight as a physical property. Intransitive and stative use.

Example

This suitcase weighs twenty kilos, which is the limit for the flight.

Example

The newborn elephant weighs over one hundred kilograms, making it one of the largest infants in the animal kingdom.

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3 to consider carefully (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

to think carefully about different facts or options before making a choice.

to evaluate or assess the relative importance or value of various factors. Often used with 'up' or 'against'.

Example

You should weigh the pros and cons before you decide to quit your job.

Example

The committee spent several hours weighing the potential risks against the long-term benefits of the proposed infrastructure project.
- ignore
- neglect
4 to be important (v.)
C1 Advanced Formal

to be important or have an influence on a decision.

to carry importance or influence in a discussion or decision-making process. Intransitive use.

Example

Her opinion weighs heavily in the final decision because she has the most experience.

Example

The testimony of the expert witness is expected to weigh heavily with the jury during the final deliberations.
5 to lift an anchor (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Nautical

to lift a ship's anchor from the bottom of the sea so the ship can sail.

to raise an anchor from the seabed in preparation for sailing. Almost exclusively used in the phrase 'weigh anchor'.

Example

The captain gave the order to weigh anchor and head out to the open sea.

Example

As the tide began to turn, the crew prepared to weigh anchor and navigate the narrow channel toward the Atlantic.
- hoist
- raise
- drop
- cast

Origin

From Middle English weyen, from Old English wegan, from Proto-West Germanic wegan, from Proto-Germanic weganą (“to move, carry, weigh”), from Proto-Indo-European wéǵʰeti, from weǵʰ- (“to bring, transport”). Cognates Cognate with Scots wey, wee, Dutch wegen, German wiegen, wägen, Danish veje, Norwegian Bokmål veie, Norwegian Nynorsk vega. Doublet of wedge, wagon, way, and vector.

Word family

Verbweigh
Nounweight
Adjectiveweighty

Idioms4 entries