outweigh

Pronunciation

• IPA ^(key): /ˌaʊtˈweɪ/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

Verb

Plain form outweigh

Third-person singular outweighs

Past tense outweighed

Past participle outweighed

Present participle outweighing

1. (transitive) If something outweighs another thing, the first is more important than the second.

   On my first day at my new job, my boss told me: "Your safety outweighs everything else. If there is ever a safety problem you need to tell me right away no matter what."

   The new Prime Minister decided that ending the war would outweigh everything else in importance, so that would be the first thing she would work on when she started her job.

2. (transitive) If you outweigh someone, it means you are heavier than they are; you weigh more than they do.

   Jean always exercised and ate healthy foods, but she still outweighed her friends by 20 pounds.

   Tommy refused to fight with Mike. "I outweigh you by 40 pounds," Tommy said. "The fight wouldn't be fair."