What does "overweigh" mean?

To exceed in weight, outweigh; to preponderate; to weigh down.

What is a synonym for "overweigh"?

Common synonyms include: burden, outweigh, overburden, overcharge, overload, overtax.

How do you pronounce "overweigh"?

Pronounced //əʊvə(ɹ)ˈweɪ//.

Overweigh

//əʊvə(ɹ)ˈweɪ// verb

verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Verb

1
To exceed in weight, outweigh; to preponderate; to weigh down. archaic, transitive
"And when the princely Perſean Diadem, Shall ouerweigh his wearie witleſſe head, And fall like mellowed fruit, with ſhakes of death, In faire Perſea noble Tamburlain Shall be my Regent, and remaine as King:"

Synonyms

All synonyms

burden outweigh overburden overcharge overload overtax

Example

More examples

"And when the princely Perſean Diadem, Shall ouerweigh his wearie witleſſe head, And fall like mellowed fruit, with ſhakes of death, In faire Perſea noble Tamburlain Shall be my Regent, and remaine as King:"

Etymology

From Middle English overweȝen; equivalent to over- + weigh. First known attestation in the Ancrene Wisse ("luue ouerweið hit").

Related phrases

weigh down

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.