weight 1 of 2

noun

ˈwāt How to pronounce weight (audio)
Definition of weightnext
1
as in heaviness
the amount that something weighs because of a back condition, I'm not allowed to lift anything with a weight of over 10 pounds

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2
as in importance
the quality or state of being important a matter of little weight that is a preoccupation solely of the news media

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in burden
a mass or quantity of something taken up and carried, conveyed, or transported those books are a heavy weight to have to carry around all day

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4
as in emphasis
a special notice or importance given to something put extra weight on the matter by putting it at the top of the agenda

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5
as in body
the main or greater part of something as distinguished from its subordinate parts the weight of the evidence supports my conclusion

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6
as in influence
the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly as a critic he has great weight in the theater world

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in obesity
the condition of having an excess of body fat finally decided to do something about his weight and began a rigorous program of diet and exercise

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

weight

2 of 2

verb

as in to load
to place a weight or burden on weighted the car with a ton of furniture and then headed off for college

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun weight differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of weight are consequence, importance, moment, and significance. While all these words mean "a quality or aspect having great worth or significance," weight implies a judgment of the immediate relative importance of something.

the argument carried no weight with the judge

When might consequence be a better fit than weight?

The synonyms consequence and weight are sometimes interchangeable, but consequence generally implies importance because of probable or possible effects.

the style you choose is of little consequence

When is it sensible to use importance instead of weight?

In some situations, the words importance and weight are roughly equivalent. However, importance implies a value judgment of the superior worth or influence of something or someone.

a region with no cities of importance

Where would moment be a reasonable alternative to weight?

While in some cases nearly identical to weight, moment implies conspicuous or self-evident consequence.

a decision of great moment

When can significance be used instead of weight?

The words significance and weight can be used in similar contexts, but significance implies a quality or character that should mark a thing as important but that is not self-evident and may or may not be recognized.

the treaty's significance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of weight
Noun
Even Bill Maher‘s Real Time studio audience wasn’t big fans of his recent joke about Ariana Grande‘s weight. — Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 9 Aug. 2026 So is controlling blood pressure, treating chronic conditions such as diabetes, avoiding smoking, limiting excessive alcohol use, getting enough sleep and maintaining a healthy weight. — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Verb
Williams is 6 feet, 7 inches tall, and weights around 220 pounds, Boyd said. — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026 His analysis also explores the growing concentration risk as market indices become even more heavily weighted toward a handful of giants, the durability of Apple’s margin profile, and how buybacks at this scale influence long-term valuation. — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for weight
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weight
  1. heaviness
  2. importance
  3. burden
  4. emphasis
  5. body
  6. influence
  7. obesity
  8. load
Noun
  • Traditional volumizing and texture sprays boast a ton of grit with a heaviness that works great for thick, coarse hairstyles, but ultimately weighs thin hair down.
    — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 28 July 2026
  • There is a heaviness and sorrow to that wise, ingenious goddess that obscured the character’s power and playfulness—a choice made by Nolan, no doubt to emphasize his dark themes.
    — Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
Definition of heaviness
Noun
  • Whatever his role, Brown will have absolute importance to the 76ers this season.
    — Tony Jones, New York Times, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Disruptions to oil and gas exports have highlighted just how reliant Gulf economies still are on fossil fuel revenues, and the importance of renewable energy to reduce this dependency.
    — Dominic Dudley, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of importance
Noun
  • Electricity bills have gone up in Quincy, but large industrial customers like data centers are shouldering the burden.
    — Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The burden varies depending on how open the model is and how mature the supporting software ecosystem has become.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of burden
Noun
  • The 29-year-old is probably Spurs’ most threatening player in the box, but is not as accomplished as Solanke in link-up play, a concern given De Zerbi places so much emphasis on contribution to build-up and playmaking.
    — Elias Burke, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Today, toilets are often considered a vital part of overall bathroom design, with companies like American Standard putting more emphasis on design elements and color options.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of emphasis
Noun
  • Things get increasingly bleak, as the family dog’s heart medicine runs out and Jason has to put him out of his misery, and then — in doomsday prepper mode — carves up the body and puts it in the freezer just in case food gets dire.
    — William Earl, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026
  • North and Central America and Caribbean governing body CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have both criticized the FIFA president and rejected the plan.
    — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of body
Noun
  • Western nations are urged to collaborate to maintain market diversity and counter Beijing's influence.
    — Tim Treadgold, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The recent student protests across India were a reminder of the growing influence of Gen Z in the country.
    — Sujata Assomull, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of influence
Noun
  • On the other hand, among individuals with obesity, nearly 10% had lower waist circumference and when compared to their counterparts with normal weight and low waist circumference, the majority showed no significant difference in heart health risk.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • In other words, the obesity penalty is strongest during the job interview process and less prevalent once someone is in the workplace.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of obesity
Verb
  • Similarly, loading up the XI for the opener away to Fulham with players who have enjoyed the benefits of a full pre-season makes sense, too.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Singles by Trout, Nolan Schanuel and Vaughn Grissom loaded the bases.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of load

Phrases Containing weight

Browse Nearby Words

weighs (upon)
weight
weight (down)
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Cite this Entry

“Weight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weight. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on weight

Nglish: Translation of weight for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about weight

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