weighed down
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective 1. Heavily burdened or oppressed: Feeling or appearing to be under a heavy physical or, more commonly, emotional load, such as worries, responsibilities, or cares. 2. Physically bent or pulled downward by weight: Describing something that is sagging or bending under a literal, physical weight.
Usage
The adjective "weighed down" describes a state of being burdened. It is typically used after a linking verb like be, feel, or look. * It can describe a person's emotional or mental state: She was weighed down by guilt. * It can describe a physical object pulled down by a heavy load: The branches were weighed down with snow.
Examples
- Emotional/Mental Burden:
- The manager, weighed down by the pressure of the upcoming merger, made a rare mistake.
- He felt weighed down by the expectations of his family.
- Physical Burden:
- The old shelf was weighed down by too many books.
- We saw apple trees weighed down with ripe fruit.
Advanced Usage
- "Weighed down with" vs. "Weighed down by": Both prepositions are commonly used and often interchangeable. A subtle difference is that "with" often introduces the thing constituting the burden (worries, fruit), while "by" can emphasize the agent causing the burden (responsibilities, expectations).
- She is weighed down with sorrow.
- He is weighed down by his debts.
Variants and Related Words
- Weigh down (phrasal verb): The action of burdening or pulling something downward.
- The heavy backpack weighed him down.
- Financial problems can weigh down even the most optimistic person.
- Overburdened (adj.): Carrying too heavy a load or responsibility.
- Loaded down (adj.): Similar to "weighed down," often used for physical loads.
- Encumbered (adj.): Formal term meaning hindered or burdened.
Synonyms
- Burdened
- Oppressed
- Laden
- Overwhelmed (for emotional sense)
- Sagging, Bowed (for physical sense)
Antonyms
- Unburdened
- Lighthearted
- Carefree
- Uplifted
Related Idioms and Phrases
- A weight off one's mind/shoulders: The opposite feeling of relief after a burden is removed.
- Finishing the project was a weight off her shoulders.
- Shoulder the burden: To accept and carry a responsibility.
- As the eldest, he had to shoulder the burden of the family business.
Adjective
- heavily burdened with work or cares
- bowed down with troubles
- found himself loaded down with responsibilities
- overburdened social workers
- weighed down with cares
- full of; bearing great weight
- trees heavy with fruit
- vines weighed down with grapes