Weigh vs. Weight: Know the Difference

By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023

Weigh is a verb, to measure the heaviness of an object. Weight is a noun, the measurement of how heavy something is.

Key Differences

Weigh is a verb, meaning to determine or measure the mass or heaviness of an object. Weight is a noun, referring to the measurement itself or the heaviness of an object.

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Nov 21, 2023

Weigh is used to describe the action of measuring weight, like weighing produce at a grocery store. Weight is used to denote the measurement, such as saying something has a weight of 10 pounds.

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Nov 21, 2023

Weigh can be used in different tenses and forms, like weighed or weighing, depending on the sentence. Weight, being a noun, can be used in singular or plural form (weights) and can be modified by adjectives.

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Nov 21, 2023

Weigh is often used in phrases like 'weigh in' or 'weigh on,' which can have literal or figurative meanings. Weight is used in expressions like 'carry weight' or 'the weight of the world,' often metaphorically.

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Nov 21, 2023

Weigh implies a process or action, the act of finding out the weight of something. Weight refers to the concept or quantity of mass an object possesses.

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Comparison Chart

Part of Speech

Verb

Noun

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Meaning

To measure the heaviness of something.

The measurement of how heavy something is.

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Usage

"I need to weigh these apples."

"The weight of these apples is one pound."

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Linguistic Variations

Used in various tenses (weigh, weighing, weighed).

Can be singular or plural (weight, weights).

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Contextual Applications

Often used in contexts of measuring or balancing.

Often refers to the physical or metaphorical heaviness.

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Weigh and Weight Definitions

Weigh

To determine the heaviness of an object.

Please weigh the luggage before we check in.

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Weight

A unit or system of units used for expressing how heavy something is.

The weight is measured in pounds and ounces in the U.S.

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Weigh

To balance in the mind, consider.

She had to weigh the pros and cons of the decision.

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Weight

A mental or emotional burden.

The weight of the news had a profound effect on her.

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Weigh

To burden, press heavily on.

The responsibilities weigh heavily on his shoulders.

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Weight

A measure of the heaviness of an object

A contest to guess the weight of a pig.

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Weigh

To measure or apportion (a certain quantity) by weight.

The chef weighed out the flour for the recipe.

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Weight

The force with which a body is attracted to Earth or another celestial body, equal to the product of the object's mass and the acceleration of gravity.

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Weigh

To determine the weight of, as with a scale

Weighed the tomatoes before buying them.

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Weight

A unit measure of gravitational force

A table of weights and measures.

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Weigh

To measure or apportion (a certain quantity) by weight. Often used with out

Weighed out a pound of cheese.

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Weight

A system of such measures

Avoirdupois weight.

Troy weight.

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Weigh

To balance in the mind in order to make a choice; ponder or evaluate

Weighed the alternatives and decided to stay.

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Weight

A metallic solid used as a standard of comparison in weighing.

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Weigh

To choose carefully or deliberately

Weigh one's words.

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Weight

An object used to hold something else down.

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Weigh

(Nautical) To raise (anchor).

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Weight

A counterbalance in a machine.

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Weigh

To be of a specific weight

The dog weighs nearly 50 pounds.

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Weight

(Sports) A heavy object, such as a dumbbell, lifted for exercise or in athletic competition.

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Weigh

To have consequence or importance

The decision weighed heavily against us.

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Weight

Excessive fat; corpulence

Exercising in order to lose weight.

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Weigh

To cause to bend heavily by added weight. Used with on or upon

A coating of ice that weighed on the slender branches.

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Weight

(Statistics) A factor assigned to a number in a computation, as in determining an average, to increase or decrease the number's effect on the computation, reflecting its importance.

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Weigh

To be burdensome or oppressive. Used with on or upon

These concerns have been weighing on us for weeks.

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Weight

Oppressiveness; pressure

The weight of responsibilities.

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Weigh

(Nautical) To raise anchor.

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Weight

The greater part; preponderance

The weight of the evidence is against the defendant.

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Weigh

Way. Used in the phrase under weigh.

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Weight

Influence, importance, or authority

Her approval carried great weight.

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Weigh

(transitive) To determine the weight of an object.

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Weight

Ponderous quality

The weight of the speaker's words.

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Weigh

(transitive) Often with "out", to measure a certain amount of something by its weight, e.g. for sale.

He weighed out two kilos of oranges for a client.

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Weight

(Sports) A classification according to comparative lightness or heaviness. Often used in combination

A heavyweight boxer.

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Weigh

To determine the intrinsic value or merit of an object, to evaluate.

You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting.

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Weight

The heaviness or thickness of a fabric in relation to a particular season or use. Often used in combination

A summerweight jacket.

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Weigh

To judge; to estimate.

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Weight

A measure of the relative thickness of yarn.

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Weigh

(transitive) To consider a subject. en

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Weight

To make heavy or heavier

Our backpacks were weighted down with food and other essentials.

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Weigh

To have a certain weight.

I weigh ten and a half stone.

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Weight

To cause to feel concerned, sad, or preoccupied; burden or oppress

He was weighted with guilt.

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Weigh

(intransitive) To have weight; to be heavy; to press down.

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Weight

To increase the weight or body of (fabrics) by treating with chemicals.

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Weigh

(intransitive) To be considered as important; to have weight in the intellectual balance.

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Weight

(Statistics) To assign weights or a weight to.

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Weigh

To raise an anchor free of the seabed.

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Weight

To cause to have a slant or bias

Weighted the rules in favor of homeowners.

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Weigh

To weigh anchor.

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Weight

(Sports) To assign to (a horse) the weight it must carry as a handicap in a race.

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Weigh

To bear up; to raise; to lift into the air; to swing up.

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Weight

The force on an object due to the gravitational attraction between it and the Earth (or whatever astronomical object it is primarily influenced by).

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Weigh

(obsolete) To consider as worthy of notice; to regard.

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Weight

An object used to make something heavier.

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Weigh

A corruption of Way, used only in the phrase under weigh.

An expedition was got under weigh from New York.

The Athenians . . . hurried on board and with considerable difficulty got under weigh.

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Weight

A standardized block of metal used in a balance to measure the mass of another object.

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Weigh

A certain quantity estimated by weight; an English measure of weight. See Wey.

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Weight

Importance or influence.

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Weigh

To bear up; to raise; to lift into the air; to swing up; as, to weigh anchor.

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Weight

(weightlifting) An object, such as a weight plate or barbell, used for strength training.

He's working out with weights.

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Weigh

To examine by the balance; to ascertain the weight of, that is, the force with which a thing tends to the center of the earth; to determine the heaviness, or quantity of matter of; as, to weigh sugar; to weigh gold.

Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.

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Weight

(lubricants) viscosity rating.

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Weigh

To be equivalent to in weight; to counterbalance; to have the heaviness of.

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Weight

(physics) Mass (atomic weight, molecular weight, etc.) in restricted circumstances

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Weigh

To pay, allot, take, or give by weight.

They weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.

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Weight

Synonym of mass}} {{qualifier

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Weigh

To examine or test as if by the balance; to ponder in the mind; to consider or examine for the purpose of forming an opinion or coming to a conclusion; to estimate deliberately and maturely; to balance.

A young man not weighed in state affairs.

Had no better weighedThe strength he was to cope with, or his own.

Regard not who it is which speaketh, but weigh only what is spoken.

In nice balance, truth with gold she weighs.

Without sufficiently weighing his expressions.

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Weight

(measurement) Mass (net weight, troy weight, carat weight, etc.).

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Weigh

To consider as worthy of notice; to regard.

All that she so dear did weigh.

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Weight

(statistics) A variable which multiplies a value for ease of statistical manipulation.

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Weigh

To have weight; to be heavy.

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Weight

(topology) The smallest cardinality of a base.

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Weigh

To be considered as important; to have weight in the intellectual balance.

Your vows to her and me . . . will even weigh.

This objection ought to weigh with those whose reading is designed for much talk and little knowledge.

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Weight

(typography) The boldness of a font; the relative thickness of its strokes.

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Weigh

To bear heavily; to press hard.

Cleanse the stuffed bosom of that perilous stuffWhich weighs upon the heart.

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Weight

(visual art) The relative thickness of a drawn rule or painted brushstroke, line weight.

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Weigh

To judge; to estimate.

Could not weigh of worthiness aright.

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Weight

(visual art) The illusion of mass.

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Weigh

Have a certain weight

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Weight

(visual art) The thickness and opacity of paint.

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Weigh

Show consideration for; take into account;

You must consider her age

The judge considered the offender's youth and was lenient

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Weight

Pressure; burden.

The weight of care or business

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Weigh

Determine the weight of;

The butcher weighed the chicken

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Weight

The resistance against which a machine acts, as opposed to the power which moves it.

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Weigh

Have weight; have import, carry weight;

It does not matter much

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Weight

Shipments of (often illegal) drugs.

He was pushing weight.

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Weigh

To be oppressive or burdensome;

Weigh heavily on the mind

Something pressed on his mind

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Weight

One pound of drugs, especially cannabis.

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Weight

Money.

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Weight

Weight class

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Weight

(transitive) To add weight to something; to make something heavier.

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Weight

To load (fabrics) with barite, etc. to increase the weight.

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Weight

(transitive) To load, burden or oppress someone.

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Weight

To assign weights to individual statistics.

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Weight

(transitive) To bias something; to slant.

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Weight

To handicap a horse with a specified weight.

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Weight

To give a certain amount of force to a throw, kick, hit, etc.

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Weight

The quality of being heavy; that property of bodies by which they tend toward the center of the earth; the effect of gravitative force, especially when expressed in certain units or standards, as pounds, grams, etc.

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Weight

The quantity of heaviness; comparative tendency to the center of the earth; the quantity of matter as estimated by the balance, or expressed numerically with reference to some standard unit; as, a mass of stone having the weight of five hundred pounds.

For sorrow, like a heavy-hanging bell,Once set on ringing, with his own weight goes.

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Weight

Hence, pressure; burden; as, the weight of care or business.

For the public all this weight he bears.

[He] who singly bore the world's sad weight.

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Weight

Importance; power; influence; efficacy; consequence; moment; impressiveness; as, a consideration of vast weight.

In such a point of weight, so near mine honor.

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Weight

A scale, or graduated standard, of heaviness; a mode of estimating weight; as, avoirdupois weight; troy weight; apothecaries' weight.

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Weight

A ponderous mass; something heavy; as, a clock weight; a paper weight.

A man leapeth better with weights in his hands.

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Weight

A definite mass of iron, lead, brass, or other metal, to be used for ascertaining the weight of other bodies; as, an ounce weight.

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Weight

The resistance against which a machine acts, as opposed to the power which moves it.

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Weight

To load with a weight or weights; to load down; to make heavy; to attach weights to; as, to weight a horse or a jockey at a race; to weight a whip handle.

The arrows of satire, . . . weighted with sense.

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Weight

To assign a weight to; to express by a number the probable accuracy of, as an observation. See Weight of observations, under Weight.

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Weight

To load (fabrics) as with barite, to increase the weight, etc.

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Weight

To assign a numerical value expressing relative importance to (a measurement), to be multiplied by the value of the measurement in determining averages or other aggregate quantities; as, they weighted part one of the test twice as heavily as part 2.

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Weight

The vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity

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Weight

Sports equipment used in calisthenic exercises and weightlifting; a weight that is not attached to anything and is raised and lowered by use of the hands and arms

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Weight

The relative importance granted to something;

His opinion carries great weight

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Weight

An artifact that is heavy

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Weight

An oppressive feeling of heavy force;

Bowed down by the weight of responsibility

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Weight

A system of units used to express the weight of something

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Weight

A unit used to measure weight;

He placed two weights in the scale pan

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Weight

(statistics) a coefficient assigned to elements of a frequency distribution in order to represent their relative importance

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Weight

Weight down with a load

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Weight

Present with a bias;

He biased his presentation so as to please the share holders

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Weight

The measurement of how heavy something is.

The weight of the backpack made it difficult to carry.

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Weight

A heavy object used to add stability or provide exercise.

He lifted weights at the gym to build muscle.

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Weight

Importance, influence, or significance.

Her opinion carries a lot of weight in the team.

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Repeatedly Asked Queries

Can weigh have a figurative meaning?

Yes, it can mean to consider or ponder something.

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How is weight measured?

Weight is measured in units like pounds, kilograms, or stones.

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What does the weight of an object indicate?

The weight indicates how heavy the object is.

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Can we use weigh in past tense?

Yes, as in "weighed."

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Is it correct to say "weigh a decision"?

Yes, it means to consider or ponder a decision carefully.

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Can weight refer to emotional burdens?

Yes, weight can metaphorically mean emotional or mental burden.

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What does "carry weight" mean?

It means to have importance or influence.

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What does it mean to weigh something?

To measure its heaviness or mass.

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Is weigh used only in physical contexts?

No, it can also be used in metaphorical or abstract contexts.

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Does weight always refer to physical mass?

No, it can also refer to influence or significance.

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Can weigh be used for animals?

Yes, to measure their heaviness.

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Does weigh have different meanings in science?

In science, weigh strictly refers to measuring mass.

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Is "weigh out" a common phrase?

Yes, it means to measure a quantity by weight.

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Can weight be used figuratively in writing?

Yes, to denote importance or gravity of a situation or opinion.

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Is weight a static measurement?

Weight can vary depending on context, such as physical weight or influence.

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What does "weigh in" mean?

It can mean to give an opinion or to measure weight.

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What does "weigh on" mean?

It means to burden or press heavily on someone's mind.

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Does weight have a plural form?

Yes, weights, as in different measures or heavy objects.

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Is weight used in sports?

Yes, especially in contexts like weightlifting or boxing categories.

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Can weight be an emotional term?

Yes, referring to emotional or psychological burden.

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Nov 21, 2023

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About Author

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Shumaila Saeed

Shumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.