1 [noncount] a : a measurement that indicates how heavy a person or thing is
▪ Please indicate your height and weight on the form. ▪ Her weight is 105 pounds.
b : the amount that a person or thing weighs : the heaviness of a person or thing
▪ The boat sank under the weight of the cargo. ▪ The doctor says you shouldn't put any weight on that foot for a week. [=you shouldn't stand on that foot for a week] ▪ Those columns have to be strong enough to support the weight of the roof. ▪ I'm trying to lose (some) weight. [=to become less heavy or fat] ▪ He is trying to watch his weight. [=to lose weight or to not gain weight] ▪ I think she has gained weight. [=become heavier] — see also dead weight, overweight, underweight 2 [count] a : a heavy object that is lifted during exercising
▪ a 10-pound weight ▪ He stays in good shape by lifting weights. ▪ She likes to exercise using free weights. [=weights (such as dumbbells and barbells) that are not attached to a piece of equipment]
b : a heavy object that is used to press something down or to or hold something in place
▪ I use pie weights to keep the pie crust from bubbling when I bake it. — see also counterweight, paperweight 3 [count] : a unit of measurement (such as a pound, kilogram, etc.) used for showing how heavy someone or something is
▪ weights and measures ▪ a metric weight 4 [singular] a : something that causes worry or sadness
▪ When I told her the truth I felt as if a weight had been lifted from my mind. ▪ Well, that's a weight off my mind/shoulders. [=that's a relief]
b : a difficult responsibility
▪ I wish there were some way I could help lift this weight [=load, burden] from his shoulders. ▪ He bore the weight of having to tell the family the bad news. 5 [noncount] a : the influence or power someone or something has over other people or things
▪ He has a lot of weight in the company. ▪ Several senators put/threw their weight behind the bill. [=used their influence to support the bill] ▪ (disapproving) The new manager immediately started throwing her weight around, making changes to staff and policy.
b : the power to influence the opinions of other people
▪ Her opinion carries a lot of weight with me. [=her opinion is very important to me] ▪ This new evidence gives added weight to his claims. [=makes his claims more believable]