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Synonyms

weigh down

British  

verb

  1. (adverb) to press (a person) down by or as if by weight

    his troubles weighed him down
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
weigh down Idioms  

  1. Burden, oppress, as in Their problems have weighed them down. This expression transfers bowing under a physical weight to emotional burdens. [c. 1600]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Another explanation is that settling with an activist and prioritizing their agenda in the boardroom is inherently disruptive, ultimately weighing down the company’s performance.”

From Barron's

The Southeast Asian economy has struggled to return to pre-pandemic levels of growth, weighed down by high household debt, weak consumption and a tepid tourism recovery.

From The Wall Street Journal

Futures in New York fell 0.7% to $5,190.50 a troy ounce, weighed down in part by a firmer U.S. dollar.

From The Wall Street Journal

That anxiety, coupled with renewed uncertainty about trade policy from Washington, weighed down major indexes Monday.

From The Wall Street Journal

The U.S. economy grew more slowly the fourth quarter of last year, weighed down by last fall’s record-long government shutdown and slower consumer spending.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.