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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
That’s a no-no for the National Flood Insurance Program and the Florida Building Code, because single family homes are not usually designed to handle the weight of all that heavy, heavy water pushing on them. — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026 Tasks that belonged together had become separate obligations, each carrying the emotional weight of an unfinished thing. — Morissa Schwartz, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
Multiple employees told Deadline that the photos are weighted toward award shows, red carpets and the movie and TV stars Zaslav interacted with during his tenure. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026 Police say Lok is five-feet, seven inches tall and weights 155 pounds. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 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
  • Symptoms can include leg heaviness, aching, swelling, throbbing and itching, Stoughton said.
    — Erica Sloan, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The only heaviness lies within the natural materials found throughout the resort, like grounding lava stone, copper, and indigenous Tzalam wood.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of heaviness
Noun
  • The princess has also increasingly made the importance of nature a focus of her work, including last year's release of a four-part video series on the power of nature.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Silver’s comments underscore the importance the league places on obtaining that information.
    — Jessica Golden,Contessa Brewer, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of importance
Noun
  • Referred to as financial toxicity, a diagnosis can result in harmful economic burden, stress and debt due to high out-of-pocket medical costs stemming from diagnostic tests, treatments, prescription drugs and hospital stays.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • But according to a new study, Connecticut is among the states with the highest leaf burden for homeowners, leaving residents to figure out what to do with all those leaves.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of burden
Noun
  • That formula feels even more relevant today, and what makes the T especially compelling is that its emphasis on driver engagement does not come at the cost of day-to-day livability.
    — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Atlas build efficiency The emphasis on manufacturing efficiency extends to the design of Atlas itself.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of emphasis
Noun
  • His son, Gal Meir, was killed in Gaza in December 2023, during an operation to recover the bodies of two Israeli hostages.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 18 Oct. 2026
  • She was treated at hospitals in Ramallah and Israel for lacerations across her body, a broken rib and four broken vertebrae.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of body
Noun
  • Wall Street’s role in financing the AI boom and data centers, a contentious election issue, as well as its influence on housing and other affordability challenges, is also likely to draw scrutiny, said attorneys and analysts.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The Mexican pop icon will receive the accolade in recognition of an exceptional career spanning over three decades and his enduring influence on Latin music.
    — Sigal Ratner-Arias, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of influence
Noun
  • The first death reportedly occurred in July, when a healthcare professional informed the FDA that a 41-year-old woman with obesity went into cardiac arrest.
    — Daniel Gilbert, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The study, which analyzed nearly 800,000 individuals across their lifespan, found that clinical obesity rates climbed through adulthood.
    — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of obesity
Verb
  • Later in the inning, Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia walked in the tying run (credited to starter Tyler Glasnow for having initially loaded the bases).
    — Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Storyteller experiments with some next-generation convertible furniture designs to make the new van even more versatile and better equipped for loading up gear.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Oct. 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 21 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on weight

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about weight

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