weigh (redirected from weighing words)

weigh (up)on someone

Fig. to burden or worry someone. (Upon is formal and less commonly used than on.) The problems at the office were beginning to weigh upon Mr. Franklin. My problems began to weigh on me.

weigh someone or something down

to burden someone or something. The heavy burden weighed the poor donkey down. The load of bricks weighed down the truck.

weigh someone's words 

1. Fig. to consider carefully what someone says. I listened to what he said, and I weighed his words very carefully. Everyone was weighing his words. None of us knew exactly what he meant.

2. Fig. to consider one's own words carefully when speaking. I always weigh my words when I speak in public. John was weighing his words carefully because he didn't want to be misunderstood.

See also: word

weigh someone down

Fig. [for a thought] to worry or depress someone. All these problems really weigh me down. Financial problems have been weighing down our entire family.

weigh something against something

to ponder something by balancing it against something. I weighed going to town against staying here and sleeping and I decided to stay here. When I weigh your suggestion against my own ideas, I realize that I must follow my own conscience.

See also: against

weigh something out

to weigh something as it is distributed. The merchant weighed the cuts of meat out for each of the waiting women. They weighed out the grain care-fully.

See also: out

weigh something up

to find out the weight of something. I can't tell you how much this will cost until I weigh it up. Liz weighed up the meat and jotted down the price.

See also: up

weigh against someone or something

Fig. to count against someone or something; [for some fact] to work against someone or something. I hope my many absences do not weigh against me on the final grade. This will weigh against you.

See also: against

weigh in (at something)

Fig. to present oneself at a certain weight. (Usually said of boxers.) The fighter weighed in at over two hundred pounds. The contenders weighed in yesterday.

weigh on someone's mind

Fig. [for something] to be in a person's thoughts; [for something] to be bothering someone's thinking. This problem has been weighing on my mind for many days now. I hate to have things weighing on my mind. I can't sleep when I'm worried.

See also: mind

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weigh your words  also weigh each word

to think carefully about something before you say it Jake explained the reasons for his decision, weighing each word as he spoke.

See also: word

weigh a ton  (informal)

to be very heavy This suitcase weighs a ton!

See also: ton

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weigh somebody down also weigh down somebody

1. to be very heavy for someone to carry She checked her bags because she knew they would weigh her down. The number of keys he carried would have weighed down a band of sturdy men.

2. to make someone feel tired and weak He was weighed down by worries about money. Old, sad memories weighed her down.

weigh your words

to think carefully about what you will say I had weighed my words because I didn't want any confusion over what I intended to do.

See also: word

weigh a ton

to be very heavy This suitcase weighs a ton!

Usage notes: usually said about something you have to lift or carry

See also: ton

weigh down something also weigh something down

to slow the operation or growth of an organization The company was weighed down with debt. Health-care costs weigh the economy down.

weigh in

to offer an opinion in a discussion or argument Mr. Pierce weighed in with a warning that many companies would not be able to meet the deadline. One angry woman weighed in to remind us that a lot of what we'd read was not true.

weigh in at something

to be measured as being a particular weight tip the scales at something Both fighters weighed in at 162 pounds. The baby weighed in at 6 pounds, 9 ounces.

weigh on somebody

to cause someone anxiety or worry Her daughter's illness definitely weighed on her mind.

weigh on something

to push something down High energy prices weigh on a company's profits by increasing production costs.

Usage notes: usually used in connection with financial markets or prices