weigh
v.v. to measure how heavy something is. You can also use it to describe thinking carefully about two different choices.
v. to ascertain the heaviness of an object using a scale; metaphorically, to evaluate or balance competing factors before making a decision.
I need to weigh my suitcase before we go to the airport.
The manager must weigh the benefits of a new software system against the high cost of training the staff.
Before casting her vote, the senator spent weeks weighing the potential economic impact of the bill against the immediate needs of her constituents.
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.
The verb is transitive when measuring an object or evaluating an idea, but intransitive when stating an inherent weight (e.g., 'it weighs five kilos').
it is weighing ten kilosit weighs ten kilosWhen describing a permanent or current weight, this is a stative verb and should not be used in the continuous -ing form.