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Glite Dictionary
to outbalance

to outbalance

1 7.1
To be more important than something else
  • verb
  • /aʊtˈbæləns/
translation icon : superar
  • Duty can sometimes outbalance a private life.

Examples

  • So I dangled gold in front of her, and her greed for money outbalanced the undying love she professes for me.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Chaos outbalanced creation... ...hate outbalanced fellowship... ...and all life suffered.

    Green Lantern: Emerald Knights (2011)

  • I began my career, and as far as feasible still try, to practice science where the weight of ideas outbalances that of the equipment.

    Academic text (1997)

  • Radiation outbalances radiation in, and energy is conserved.

    Blog text (18)

  • Her experience in the field will outbalance any lack of formal education.

  • The benefits of the new policy will outbalance any potential drawbacks.

  • In this debate, the evidence he presented will outbalance her emotional arguments.

Synonyms

to outweigh
vsto outbalance
75 4.2

To be more important or valuable than something else

has identical sense, meaning one thing matters more than another
to overbalance
vsto outbalance
1 6.7

To be more important than something else

is similar but is used slightly more in physical or technical contexts
to preponderate
vsto outbalance
  • Formal
9.4

To be greater or more important than something else

is about importance or effect rather than counting or force

How Important

to dominate
213 3.8
to overshadow
48 5.9
to outbalance
1 7.1
to outweigh
75 4.2
to count
406 3.2
to matter
∞ 1.4

Surface Forms

outbalance infinitive
outbalanced past
outbalanced past participle
outbalancing present participle
outbalances third person singular

Morphology

outbalance = balance (transparent) = out + balance

The meaning is directly derived from the productive prefix 'out-' (to surpass) combined with the verb 'balance' (weigh/equalize), so learners can infer 'to surpass/balance against'.

Etymology

The word outbalance combines out- ('more than') and balance, which comes from the idea of 'weighing' on a scale. So, to outbalance something is to 'weigh more' or be more important or powerful than it.