weigh up
B1 neutral separable transitive
In simple words
To think carefully about all the good and bad things before you decide what to do.
Literal meaning: To lift something up onto a scale to determine its weight.
Meanings
1 B1
idiomatic
neutral
To consider all the advantages and disadvantages of a situation carefully before deciding.
"Take your time to weigh up all your options before signing the contract."
Grammar: separable
2 B2
idiomatic
informal
To quickly assess a person or situation to form a judgment.
"She weighed him up the moment he walked into the room and decided he wasn't right for the role."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
More common in British English than American English. Often used with 'the pros and cons,' 'the options,' or 'the situation.' Also used informally to mean quickly assessing a person or situation.
Commonly used with
options pros and cons risks situation evidence competition
Forms
Base
weigh up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
weighs up
he/she/it
Past simple
weighed up
yesterday
Past participle
weighed up
have + pp
-ing form
weighing up
continuous
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