1 being heavy or light
2 weighing sb/sth
3 lifting and moving heavy things
lifting heavy objects in sport SPORT
see also SIZE, BIG/SMALL
1 being heavy or light
- how heavy sb/sth is: weight (noun U)
The weight of the bag is 20 kg. ◎ 5 kg in weight
- to have a certain weight: weigh ※¦
How much do you weigh? ◎ This suitcase weighs rather a lot! What on earth have you got in it? ◎ She weighed three kilos at birth.
- a person or thing that weighs a lot and is difficult to lift or move is heavy
a heavy load ◎ heavy machinery ◎ This suitcase is too heavy to carry.
- to be extremely heavy: (informal) weigh a ton
I can't lift this, it weighs a ton.
- (used about a person) weighing too much: overweight
He's very overweight - he should go on a diet.
※ being fat FAT/THIN/THICK
- a person or thing that does not weigh a lot is light
Why is your bag so much lighter than mine? ◎ a light cotton shirt
- extremely light: (informal) as light as a feather
I can lift her up - she's as light as a feather.
※ changing your body weight
- to get fatter: put* ※¦ on, put* on weight
I've put on a few pounds recently. ◎ She's really put on weight since she gave up smoking.
- to become thinner: lose* ※¦, lose* weight
I lost over a kilo when I was ill last month.
- to do a lot of exercise in order to lose weight: work sth off
I'm going to the gym to try and work off some of this fat.
※ more on exercise EXERCISE
2 weighing sb/sth
- a machine used for weighing people or things: scales (noun plural)
kitchen scales ◎ weigh yourself on the bathroom scales
- to find the weight of sb/sth: weigh sb/sth
Have you weighed yourself recently?
- to measure a quantity of sth (especially food): weigh sth out
Weigh out all the ingredients before you start cooking.
※ measurements of weightmetric measurements
| a unit used to measure small amounts of sth, for example food | gram (g) |
| 1 000 grams | kilo, kilogram (kg) |
| 1 000 kilograms | tonne |
non-metric measurements
| a unit used for measuring small amounts of sth, for example food | ounce (oz) |
| 16 ounces | pound (lb) |
| 14 pounds (used for weighing people) | stone |
| 2 240 pounds | ton |
※ comparing the metric and non-metric systems
- 1 ounce = 28.35 grams
- 1 pound = 0.454 kilogram
- 1 stone = 6.356 kilograms
- 1 ton = 1.016 tonnes
3 lifting and moving heavy things
- something heavy which is carried or supported: load
These lorries carry very heavy loads.
- a heavy load which has to be supported: weight (of sth)
I don't think that chair can support his weight. ◎ The shelf collapsed under the weight of the books.
- to support the weight of sth: carry sth, hold* sth
How many people does this lift carry? ◎ How much weight do you think it can hold?
- the weight of sth pressing on sth else: pressure (noun U)
If you stand on it you'll put too much pressure on it and it'll break.
- to pull sth heavy along with difficulty: drag sth
We dragged the boat down to the sea.
- to put sth heavy down in a careless way: dump sth (down)
We dumped our bags in the hall and rushed upstairs.
- the noise of sth heavy dropping: thud
The man fell to the ground with a thud.
