to weigh down
4
3.6
- phrasal verb
- /weɪ daʊn/
:
pesar
- Two bricks weigh down the lid.
- heavy fabrics weighing down
- weigh down hair
- weigh down the branches
To wear a ring for each nuptial would so weigh down the hand it could not be lifted.
- To wear a ring for each nuptial would so weigh down the hand it could not be lifted.
- But if you never address the sandbags that are keeping that thing on the ground, weighing it down, is it going anywhere?
Examples
-
The wet, heavy snow may weigh down trees and break branches.
-
To wear a ring for each nuptial would so weigh down the hand it could not be lifted.
-
The still is set up in the middle, plastic with a rock weighing down the center.
Fiction book (2000) -
They used it to weigh the body down.
-
Rocks and dirt are used to weigh down the edges of the plastic.
Academic text (1998) -
"I'll find some rocks to weigh down the corners of the towel.
Fiction book (1997) -
My mother tightens her grip around his neck; her body covers him and weighs him down at the same time.
Fiction book (2000) -
The team hurries around the improvised tent, weighing it down with packing cases, gasoline drums, and water cans, bringing anything loose or light inside the tarpaulin.
Fiction book (1996) -
Cover the boards with a sheet of clean paper and weigh down while the glue is drying.
-
Old cans lined the tops of the windows, weighing down faded brown sheets for curtains.
Synonyms
29
4.0
To pull something down by weight or force
23
4.4
To press down with a heavy load
16
2.0
Make something move down by using force
8
2.2
Push something down using your hand or weight
5
3.2
To bring something or someone down from a higher place
4
4.1
To make someone or something heavy by giving them more to carry
3
5.5
To press hard on something with great force
2
7.0
Press hard on something or make it feel heavy
1
4.2
To make someone or something carry too many heavy things
To weigh down with a heavy load or worry
Antonyms
How Heavy
Surface Forms
Morphology
The constituents 'weigh' (make heavy) and 'down' (lower) clearly suggest making something heavier or pressing downward, which naturally maps onto the idea of causing emotional burden or sadness. This is a metaphorical extension that many languages use, so learners can often infer the sense from the parts, but it still requires a figurative mapping rather than a strictly literal composition.
Etymology
Weigh down gives a simple picture: heavy things put on a shelf, branch, or bag make it bend or sink, with weigh showing added weight and down the downward pull. So it means 'to make something heavier' or 'to cause it to bend or sink'.