freight
gb/fɹˈeɪt/ us/fɹˈeɪt/
B2
English
~ 7100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
goods carried as cargo
Goods that are moved in large amounts by ship, train, truck, or plane for business.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "freight" with "flight" because they sound similar. "Freight" is about goods and transport, while "flight" is about traveling by plane. Some learners also think "freight" only means sea transport, but it can be by ship, train, truck, or plane.
Synonyms
cargo (Very close in meaning; often used especially for goods carried by ship, plane, or truck.)
|
goods (More general word for products or things that are bought and sold; not limited to transport.)
Antonyms
passengers (Refers to people being transported, contrasting with freight, which refers to goods.)
Collocations
air freight
|sea freight
|rail freight
|freight train
|freight company
|freight terminal
Themes
transport
|business
|trade
|transportation
Examples
- The company ships most of its freight by rail to keep costs down.
- International freight has been delayed due to the port workers' strike.
- The truck was carrying a heavy freight of construction materials.
- New regulations will affect how hazardous freight is transported across borders.
- Demand for air freight increased sharply during the holiday season.
Learner examples
- The ship is full of freight from China.
- This train takes freight, not people.
- They moved the freight from the truck into the warehouse.
- The company sends its freight by air because it is faster.
- Heavy freight can damage old roads.
Noun
B2
quantity
2
cost of transporting goods
The price you pay to move goods by ship, train, truck, or plane.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "freight" always means the goods themselves and do not realize it can also mean the cost of moving those goods. Phrases like "pay the freight" usually refer to paying the costs, not handling the physical goods.
Synonyms
shipping costs (Common everyday term; often includes packing and handling, not just transport.)
|
transport fees (More general and slightly more formal; can refer to the cost of moving people or goods.)
Antonyms
free shipping (Means no freight or shipping costs are charged to the customer.)
Collocations
freight charges
|freight rates
|freight cost
|pay the freight
|freight bill
|freight and insurance
Themes
business
|transport
|trade
|transportation
|finance
Examples
- The buyer is responsible for all freight charges and customs duties.
- Higher fuel prices have pushed up international freight rates.
- If you order more than ten units, we will cover the freight.
- Freight and handling will be added to your final invoice.
- They chose sea transport because the air freight cost was too high.
Learner examples
- Who will pay the freight on this order?
- The freight is more than the price of the goods.
- We need to check the freight charges before we buy.
- The company offers free freight on large orders.
- Air freight is fast, but the freight is expensive.
Verb
C1
action
3
to transport goods as freight
To move goods in large amounts by ship, train, truck, or plane as a business service.
Usage pattern:
to freight [goods] [by/with/through something]
Common mistake:
Learners often use "freight" only as a noun and do not realize it can be a verb. Also, in modern English, the verb "ship" is more common in everyday and business use, so using "freight" as a verb can sound slightly more formal or technical.
Synonyms
ship (Very common verb in business English; can sound more modern and is used in both everyday and technical contexts.)
|
transport (More general verb; does not specifically imply commercial freight operations.)
Antonyms
receive (Describes the opposite end of the process, getting goods instead of sending them.)
Collocations
freight goods
|freight containers
|freight the cargo
|freighted by rail
|freighted by air
|freight shipments
Themes
transport
|business
|transportation
Examples
- The company freights most of its raw materials from overseas suppliers.
- These components are freighted by air to reduce lead times.
- The grain will be freighted by rail from the interior to the port.
- They decided to freight the machinery in two separate shipments.
- Perishable goods are usually freighted in refrigerated containers.
Learner examples
- They freight car parts from Germany to the US.
- The store freights fresh fruit by air.
- We will freight these boxes by sea to save money.
- The company freights many heavy machines every month.
- The steel is freighted from the factory to the port.
Verb
literary
C2
action
4
to load with meaning or weight
To give something a strong or serious feeling or meaning, so that it feels heavy or important.
Usage pattern:
to freight [something] with [emotion/meaning/importance]
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use this figurative sense in casual speech, where it can sound unnatural or overly literary. It is safer in literature, reviews, or formal writing. They may also confuse it with the basic transport meaning and create odd sentences like "The box is freighted with books" when they only mean it is full of books.
Synonyms
burden (Suggests putting a heavy load or responsibility on something or someone, often with a negative tone.)
|
charge (In this sense, means to fill something with feeling or significance, but is a bit more common than "freight" in this figurative use.)
Antonyms
strip (As in "strip of meaning"; suggests removing weight, meaning, or importance from something.)
Collocations
freighted with meaning
|freighted with symbolism
|emotion-freighted
|freighted with guilt
|freighted with history
|freighted with political significance
Themes
emotions
|communication
Examples
- His brief apology was freighted with unspoken regret.
- Every word of the speech was freighted with political meaning.
- The photograph is freighted with memories of a lost childhood.
- The novel is heavily freighted with religious symbolism.
- Their silence was freighted with tension.
Learner examples
- Her simple words were freighted with deep pain.
- The old house is freighted with many sad stories.
- His voice was freighted with anger and fear.
- The short letter is freighted with love.
- The song is freighted with history for this country.
Grammar
Dictionary form
freight
IPA
GB/fɹˈeɪt/
US/fɹˈeɪt/
Syllables & stress
freight (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (freight)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: freight
- Plural: freight
Verb
- Base: freight
- 3rd Person Singular: freights
- Present Participle: freighting
- Past: freighted
Word family
Forms
freights
verb
freighting
verb
freighted
verb
Core family
freighter
noun
Related words
airfreight
noun
Expressions
air freight
1/ˈɛɹ fɹˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
moving goods by airplane
The service of moving goods by airplane, or the goods that are moved this way.
Examples
- We use air freight for urgent medical supplies.
- Air freight is more expensive than sea transport but much faster.
- The company specializes in cold-chain air freight for fresh food.
freight charges
1/fɹˈeɪt t͡ʃˈɑɹd͡ʒɪz/
fixed phrase
fees for carrying goods
The money you must pay to move goods by ship, train, truck, or plane.
Examples
- Freight charges will be added to your final bill.
- The supplier agreed to cover all freight charges on international orders.
- Higher fuel prices have increased freight charges worldwide.
freight elevator
1/fɹˈeɪt ˈɛləvˌeɪtɚ/
fixed phrase
elevator for moving goods
A large, strong elevator used to move heavy goods and equipment, not for normal passengers.
Examples
- Use the freight elevator to move the furniture, not the main lift.
- The freight elevator goes directly from the loading dock to the warehouse floor.
- Heavy deliveries must be taken up in the freight elevator.
freight forwarder
1/fɹˈeɪt fˈɔɹwɚdɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
company arranging freight transport
A business that plans and organizes how goods are sent from one place to another, often across countries.
Examples
- We hired a freight forwarder to handle customs and documentation.
- A good freight forwarder can reduce both costs and delays.
- The freight forwarder arranged for the goods to be shipped by sea.
freight train
1/fɹˈeɪt tɹˈeɪn/
fixed phrase
train that carries goods
A train that carries goods and materials, not people.
Examples
- A long freight train passed slowly through the town.
- The accident involved a freight train carrying chemicals.
- At night you can hear the freight trains heading toward the port.
like a freight train
1/lˈaɪk ə fɹˈeɪt tɹˈeɪn/
idiom
informal
with great force or speed
Used to say that something is very strong, loud, or fast, like a big heavy train.
Examples
- The storm hit the town like a freight train.
- His anger came on like a freight train and shocked everyone.
- The music started soft and then hit the crowd like a freight train.
pay the freight
1/pˈeɪ ðə fɹˈeɪt/
idiom
informal
to bear or pay all costs
To pay for all the costs of something, or to accept the full financial burden.
Examples
- If you want the project done quickly, you’ll have to pay the freight.
- The company is willing to expand, but it’s the investors who must pay the freight.
- We’ll join the program if the city agrees to pay the freight.
sea freight
1/sˈi fɹˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
moving goods by ship
The service of moving goods by ship, or the goods that are moved this way.
Examples
- They chose sea freight to reduce shipping costs.
- Sea freight is slower than air freight but much cheaper for heavy items.
- Most bulk commodities are moved by sea freight.