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Glite Dictionary
to weigh the costs against the benefits

to weigh the costs against the benefits

4.1
Carefully compare the good and bad points before you decide
  • idiom
translation icon : sopesar los costos y beneficios
  • Before choosing a new health insurance plan, you should weigh the costs against the benefits to find the best option.

Examples

  • It is important to weigh the costs against the benefits when making large purchases.

  • Have you weighed the costs against the benefits yet?

  • The committee spent hours trying to weigh the costs against the benefits of the proposed merger.

  • Before deciding, you should weigh the costs against the benefits.

  • Before investing in a new project, we should weigh the costs against the benefits to determine if it is worthwhile.

  • The committee will weigh the costs against the benefits of each proposal before making a final decision.

  • To make an informed choice, you must weigh the costs against the benefits of moving to a new city.

Synonyms

to weigh
vsto weigh the costs against the benefits
215 3.7

To think carefully about different things before deciding

focuses on comparing disadvantages and advantages rather than general consideration
to weigh your options
vsto weigh the costs against the benefits
8 3.8

Think carefully about different choices before you decide

is about balancing disadvantages and advantages rather than just choosing between alternatives
to weigh up
vsto weigh the costs against the benefits
  • UK
2 4.4

Carefully think about and compare options before deciding

is focused specifically on balancing disadvantages against advantages

Antonyms

impulsiveness
4 5.9

A habit of acting quickly without thinking about the results

How Carefully

to scrutinize
  • US
70 6.2
to analyze
  • US
675 3.2
to evaluate
335 3.2
to weigh the costs against the benefits
4.1
to consider
∞ 1.1
to think about
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

weigh the costs against the benefits infinitive
weighing the costs against the benefits present participle
weighs the costs against the benefits third person singular
weighed the costs against the benefits past
weighed the costs against the benefits past participle

Morphology

weigh + the + cost + against + the + benefit

The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'weigh' (to evaluate) with 'costs' and 'benefits', where 'against' explicitly signals comparison; a B1 learner who knows these words can infer 'carefully compare disadvantages and advantages.' This straightforward, compositional comparison pattern is common across languages, so the expression is transparent.

Etymology

The phrase weigh the costs against the benefits comes from the simple picture of a balance scale: you put the costs on one side and the benefits on the other and weigh which side is heavier. So, it means 'to carefully compare the disadvantages and advantages before deciding'.