1 B1 neutral
To make something physically heavy so that it sinks, bends, or cannot move freely.
"The snow weighed down the pine branches until they nearly touched the ground."
separable
weigh down
B1 neutral separable transitive
To make someone or something heavy, or to cause someone to feel burdened and depressed.
In plain English
To make something heavy so it sinks or can't move, or to make someone feel very sad and stressed.
What does "weigh down" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To cause someone to feel deeply sad, stressed, or unable to cope due to problems or responsibilities.
"She was visibly weighed down by the stress of caring for her sick mother while working full time."
“
He was weighed down by the heavy burden of leadership.
— Widely attributed paraphrase of themes in Nelson Mandela, 'Long Walk to Freedom', 1994
separable
3 B2 idiomatic neutral
To prevent progress or success by adding too many problems, costs, or obligations.
"The company was weighed down by debt and could not invest in new technology."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To push something downward by placing a heavy object on top of it.
Actually means
To make something heavy so it sinks or can't move, or to make someone feel very sad and stressed.
Usage tip
Used both literally (physical weight) and figuratively (emotional/mental burden). In the figurative sense, it is often used in the passive: 'weighed down by grief/debt/responsibility.'
Words that pair with "weigh down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
grief debt worry responsibility luggage branches
How to conjugate "weigh down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
weigh down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
weighs down
he/she/it
Past simple
weighed down
yesterday
Past participle
weighed down
have + pp
-ing form
weighing down
continuous
Hear "weigh down" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "weigh down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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