: the force with which a body is attracted toward the earth or a celestial body by gravitation and which is equal to the product of the mass and the local gravitational acceleration
7
a
: the relative importance or authority accorded something
the weight of her opinions
b
: measurable influence especially on others
throwing his weight behind the proposal
8
: overpowering force
9
: the quality (such as lightness) that makes a fabric or garment suitable for a particular use or season—often used in combination
summer-weight
10
: a numerical coefficient assigned to an item to express its relative importance in a frequency distribution
11
: the degree of thickness of the strokes of a type character
influence may apply to a force exercised and received consciously or unconsciously.
used her influence to get the bill passed
authority implies the power of winning devotion or allegiance or of compelling acceptance and belief.
his opinions lacked authority
prestige implies the ascendancy given by conspicuous excellence or reputation for superiority.
the prestige of the newspaper
weight implies measurable or decisive influence in determining acts or choices.
their wishes obviously carried much weight
credit suggests influence that arises from the confidence of others.
his credit with the press
Example Sentences
Noun Please indicate your height and weight on the form. The boat sank under the weight of the cargo. Those columns have to be strong enough to support the weight of the roof. He stays in good shape by lifting weights. I use pie weights to keep the pie crust from bubbling when I bake it. Verb I weighted the fishing line with a lead sinker. weighted the car with a ton of furniture and then headed off for collegeSee More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
After all, a good electrician or HVAC technician is worth his or her weight in gold.WSJ, 12 Sep. 2022 Underwood, 58, remembers getting bad news from her doctor when her weight was hovering between 230 lbs. Lanae Brody, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2022 Griner stands six feet nine inches tall, and her playing weight is more than two hundred pounds. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2022 My weight fluctuated from 210 pounds to 185 pounds in 10 days. Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2022 The ruling Communist Party has used the zero-Covid strategy to argue that its political model is superior to Western democracies, and Xi has thrown his weight behind the policy. Nectar Gan, CNN, 5 Sep. 2022 Keep in mind that most meats lose between 15 and 45 percent of their weight when they are cooked. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Aug. 2022 Duckro and his family tell Rayl to leave, but Rayl instead begins to slam his body weight into the door. Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 30 Aug. 2022 Glacial ice deforms under its own weight, flowing outward and downhill like slow-motion pancake batter. Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, 30 Aug. 2022
Verb
This can make algorithms harder to weight and train, with underlying insights more challenging to unlock. Cenk Sidar, Forbes, 15 Aug. 2022 But the department has to weight that risk against the way Twitter has become integral to communicating emergencies to the public. Barbara Ortutay, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Aug. 2022 Their research builds on earlier studies showing that eating meals at different times each day contributes to weight gain and is linked to depression. Alina Dizik, WSJ, 13 Aug. 2022 The new maps weight their districts in their favor. Jonathan Mattise, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Aug. 2022 The new maps weight their districts in their favor. Jonathan Mattise, ajc, 4 Aug. 2022 Humpback whales can grow up to 62-feet long and weight up to 53 tons. From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 26 July 2022 The American Psychological Association also lists weight gain or loss as one of the many disruptive factors that may indicate a person is having an emotional crisis. Olivia Muenter, Woman's Day, 14 July 2022 The tomb’s site, which includes a chamber formed by nine upright stones and a capstone estimated to weight more than 27 tons, has been linked to King Arthur since before the 13th century, according to the conservation group English Heritage. Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 12 July 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English wight, weght, from Old English wiht; akin to Old Norse vætt weight, Old English wegan to weigh
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a