deadweight
3
5.8
- noun
- /ˈdɛdˌweɪt/
- Last week, the nurse weighed him—93 pounds—but he is deadweight against her as they shuffle across the room, sinking with each step, his knees giving way beneath him.
Examples
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But the reactionary deadweight remains, and the rural/urban divide remains.
Blog text (27) -
The outdated regulations felt like deadweight, hindering the company's ability to innovate.
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Try and ditch the deadweight if you can.
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I'm cutting loose a lot of deadweight.
-
His briefcase was a deadweight as he walked down the hill toward the crossroads.
Fiction book (1991) -
Having so many unresolved issues became a deadweight on the team's progress toward their goals.
-
The constant distractions in the office were a deadweight, slowing down productivity significantly.
Synonyms
580
3.4
A heavy load or something that causes worry and difficulty
182
1.0
A heavy object used for exercise or to hold things down
70
4.1
A heavy burden of worry or responsibility
23
4.4
A heavy object that is hard to carry, or a burden that slows progress
3
8.1
A heavy burden that makes life hard
2
4.9
A heavy feeling of pressure because you have important duties
1
6.6
A heavy load of work or problems that a person cannot manage
1
9.9
Extra things you carry that slow you down
Antonyms
How Burdensome
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Deadweight comes from the two simple parts dead ('not moving' or 'not active') and weight ('a heavy thing'). So a 'deadweight' paints the picture of something heavy that does not help you move, which is why we use it for a person or thing that slows progress or is a burden.