outweigh
gb/ˈaʊtwˌeɪ/ us/ˈaʊtwˌeɪ/
B2
English
~ 8500
felülmúl, meghalad, többet nyom a latban, többet nyom, nehezebb
VERB
B2
1
Usage pattern:
to outweigh [something]
For many people, the health benefits of regular exercise far outweigh the inconvenience.
Sok ember számára a rendszeres testmozgás egészségügyi előnyei messze felülmúlják az ezzel járó kellemetlenségeket.
In this case, the potential risks outweigh the possible rewards, so we decided not to invest.
Ebben az esetben a lehetséges kockázatok meghaladják a várható nyereséget, ezért úgy döntöttünk, hogy nem fektetünk be.
The advantages of working from home often outweigh the disadvantages, especially for parents.
His passion for teaching outweighs the fact that the salary is not very high.
Environmental concerns should outweigh short-term economic gains when making this decision.
Learner examples
The benefits of learning English outweigh the hard work.
Az angoltanulás előnyei felülmúlják a vele járó kemény munkát.
For me, the joy of travel outweighs the cost of the ticket.
Számomra az utazás öröme többet nyom a latban, mint a jegy ára.
In this job, the stress outweighs the good pay.
The problem is big, but the good results may outweigh it.
Sometimes the fear of change outweighs the hope for a better life.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "outweigh" with the adjective "overweight" (which describes a person or thing that is too heavy). "Outweigh" is a verb and usually compares two things, often abstract ones like benefits and risks. Another common mistake is adding "than" after it, e.g. *"The benefits outweigh than the risks"*; the correct structure is "The benefits outweigh the risks" with no "than". Learners may also try to use it without a direct object, e.g. *"The benefits outweigh"*; in standard usage you almost always say what they outweigh ("The benefits outweigh the risks").
Meaning
be more important or greater
Collocations
benefits outweigh the risks
|advantages outweigh the disadvantages
|pros outweigh the cons
|costs outweigh the benefits
|risks outweigh the rewards
|gains outweigh the losses
Synonyms
outbalance (Slightly more formal; emphasizes the idea of one factor being stronger than another.)
|
override (Often used when one concern cancels or replaces another, especially rules or decisions.)
|
outnumber (Used only for numbers or amounts, not importance; focuses on quantity rather than value.)
Antonyms
be outweighed by (Shows that the other factor is stronger or more important in the comparison.)
|
be secondary to (Emphasizes being less important than something else.)
Themes
discussion
|decision-making
|business
|daily-life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
to be more important, more serious, or stronger than something else when you compare them
To be more important, valuable, influential, or significant than something else, especially when comparing two or more factors such as advantages and disadvantages or risks and benefits.
VERB
B2
2
Usage pattern:
to outweigh [something]
The suitcase clearly outweighs the airline's baggage limit.
A bőrönd súlya egyértelműen meghaladja a légitársaság poggyász-súlyhatárát.
In the test, the metal block outweighed the wooden block by almost two kilograms.
A tesztben a fémtömb majdnem két kilogrammal többet nyomott, mint a fatömb.
Even as a child, he already outweighed many of the older students.
The large dog outweighs its owner by several kilos.
These stones outweigh the maximum load the shelf can safely hold.
Learner examples
This box outweighs that one.
Ez a doboz többet nyom, mint az.
The big dog outweighs the small dog.
A nagy kutya többet nyom, mint a kicsi.
Her bag outweighs mine by two kilos.
The truck outweighs the small car.
The rock outweighs the plastic ball.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse this physical sense in everyday speech where native speakers would simply say "is heavier than". While correct, "outweigh" in the physical sense is less common in casual conversation and more typical in technical, scientific, or careful descriptions.
Meaning
be heavier than something
Collocations
outweigh the limit
|outweigh the container
|outweigh the others
|significantly outweigh
|slightly outweigh
Synonyms
be heavier than (A direct, everyday way to express physical weight comparison.)
Antonyms
be lighter than (States that something has less physical weight in the comparison.)
Themes
physics
|measurement
|daily-life
|science
|core_vocabulary
Definition
to have more weight than something else
To be heavier in physical weight than something else.
Grammar
Dictionary form
outweigh
IPA
GB/ˈaʊtwˌeɪ/
US/ˈaʊtwˌeɪ/
Syllables & stress
out - weigh (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (out)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: outweigh
- 3rd Person Singular: outweighs
- Present Participle: outweighing
- Past: outweighed
Word family
Forms
outweighs
verb
outweighing
verb
outweighed
verb
Related words
overweight
adjective B1
underweight
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
weightless
adjective
Advanced or less common
weighty
adjective B2
weightlessness
noun
Expressions
advantages outweigh the disadvantages
1/ædvˈæntɪd͡ʒɪz ˈaʊtwˌeɪ ðə dˌɪsədvˈæntɪd͡ʒɪz/
fixed phrase
say positives are stronger than negatives
used to say that the good points of something are more important or stronger than the bad points
Examples
- For many students, the advantages of studying abroad outweigh the disadvantages.
- In my opinion, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, so we should accept the offer.
benefits outweigh the risks
1/bˈɛnəfɪts ˈaʊtwˌeɪ ðə ɹˈɪsks/
fixed phrase
say good results are more important
used to say that the good results of an action are stronger or more important than the possible bad results
Examples
- After talking with her doctor, she decided the benefits outweigh the risks and started the new medicine.
- We believe the benefits outweigh the risks, so we will go ahead with the project.
costs outweigh the benefits
1/kˈɔsts ˈaʊtwˌeɪ ðə bˈɛnəfɪts/
fixed phrase
say costs are greater than benefits
used to say that the money, time, or other costs are stronger or more important than the good results
Examples
- We decided not to launch the product because the costs outweigh the benefits.
- If the costs outweigh the benefits, there is no reason to continue the project.
pros outweigh the cons
1/pɹˈoʊz ˈaʊtwˌeɪ ðə kˈɑnz/
fixed phrase
informal
say pros are stronger than cons
used to say that the good sides (pros) are more important or stronger than the bad sides (cons)
Examples
- We listed everything and decided that the pros outweigh the cons.
- If the pros outweigh the cons, we should probably move forward with the plan.