weigh on
Definition
- Verb (transitive):
- To cause someone to feel worried, anxious, or burdened; to be a source of mental or emotional pressure.
- To be oppressive or disheartening to someone.
Usage
The phrasal verb "weigh on" is used to describe a thought, problem, or responsibility that causes persistent worry or sadness. It often implies a heavy, burdensome feeling that affects a person's mood or state of mind. The subject is typically the source of the worry (e.g., a problem, a decision, guilt), and the object is the person affected.
Examples
- Verb:
- The financial problems began to weigh on him. (He felt burdened and worried by the financial problems.)
- Her guilt over the mistake weighed on her conscience for years. (The guilt caused her persistent emotional distress.)
- The responsibility of leadership weighs heavily on the new manager. (The responsibility is a significant source of pressure for the manager.)
Advanced Usage
- "weigh heavily on": An intensified form, emphasizing a greater degree of burden or oppression.
- The tragic news weighed heavily on the entire community.
- "weigh on someone's mind": A common collocation specifying that the burden is psychological.
- The upcoming exam is really weighing on her mind.
Variants and Related Words
- Burden (verb): To load or weigh down; to cause difficulty or worry.
- Oppress (verb): To keep someone in subservience and hardship, often causing distress.
- Prey on one's mind: An idiom with a very similar meaning to "weigh on one's mind."
Synonyms
- Trouble: To cause distress or anxiety to.
- Distress: To cause anxiety, sorrow, or pain.
- Haunt: To persistently disturb or cause anxiety (e.g., ).
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Weigh down: Similar to "weigh on," but can be used more literally for physical weight and figuratively for emotional weight.
- The heavy backpack weighed him down. (Literal)
- She was weighed down by sorrow. (Figurative)
Related Idioms
- A weight off one's mind/shoulders: The opposite feeling; relief from a burden.
- Finishing the project was a weight off his shoulders.
Verb
-
be oppressive or disheartening to
Khám phá thêm
Các từ liên quan
Từ đồng nghĩa
Từ trái nghĩa
