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Glite Dictionary
to weigh up the evidence

to weigh up the evidence

4.5
To carefully look at all the evidence before deciding
  • phrasal verb
  • UK
translation icon : sopesar la evidencia
  • The Doc here, she has a theory that seems inconceivable, but after weighing up the evidence, I have to conclude is feasible, no matter how absurd it may seem.

Examples

  • As per usual, actual science involves weighing up the evidence, something that seems alien.

    Blog text (29)

  • It is important to weigh up the evidence carefully to ensure a fair and informed decision.

  • Before making a final decision, the committee needs to weigh up the evidence from both sides of the argument.

  • When investigating a case, detectives must weigh up the evidence thoroughly to uncover the truth.

Synonyms

to weigh
vsto weigh up the evidence
215 3.7

To think carefully about different things before deciding

focuses on examining all available evidence with full detail
to weigh up
vsto weigh up the evidence
  • UK
2 4.4

Carefully think about and compare options before deciding

emphasizes carefully examining every piece of available evidence

Antonyms

to jump to conclusions
  • Informal
46 3.9

Decide quickly about someone or something without enough information

How Informed

to weigh up the evidence
  • UK
4.5
to speculate
254 4.8
to fly blind
  • Informal
1 7.7
to guess
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

weigh up the evidence infinitive
weighed up the evidence past
weighed up the evidence past participle
weighing up the evidence present participle
weighs up the evidence third person singular

Morphology

weigh + up + the + evidence

The meaning 'to carefully consider all the available evidence' is directly derivable from 'weigh' (to evaluate) combined with 'evidence' (information), with 'up' functioning as a common particle that intensifies or completes the evaluative action. This is a standard verb+particle+object compositional pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The phrase weigh up the evidence comes from the image of a balance scale where someone puts pieces of evidence on each side to see which side is heavier. So to weigh up means to compare things carefully before you 'decide'.