weigh
weigh Lexical Profile
weigh Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To find out how heavy someone or something is, typically using scales.
"The grocer had to weigh the apples before calculating the total price."
To have a specified weight or heaviness.
"A full-grown male African elephant can weigh up to six tons."
To assess the nature or importance of something carefully, especially with a view to making a decision or choice.
"The committee must weigh the potential benefits of the project against its environmental costs."
To be depressing, burdensome, or troublesome to someone (usually followed by 'on' or 'upon').
"The responsibility of leading the research team began to weigh heavily on her shoulders."
To raise a ship's anchor off the seabed in preparation for sailing.
"The captain ordered the crew to weigh anchor at dawn as the tide turned."
Word Nuance & Usage
Frequently confused with its homophones 'way' (a path, direction, or method) and 'whey' (the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained).
• Rhymes for weigh
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'wegan', meaning to carry, move, or measure the weight of, ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root '*wegh-' (to go, move, or transport in a vehicle).