What Does “Weigh on sb” Mean?
“Weigh on sb” means to make someone feel worried, stressed, or burdened by something emotionally or mentally.
Introduction
The phrasal verb “Weigh on sb” is used to describe situations where a person feels heavy emotional or mental pressure. This pressure can come from worries, guilt, responsibilities, or difficult decisions. Understanding the “Weigh on sb meaning” helps learners express feelings of stress or concern in English naturally. It is a useful phrase in both everyday conversation and writing when talking about how problems affect someone’s mind or emotions.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: Weigh on somebody
- Type: Transitive
- Level: B2
- Short meaning: To cause someone to feel stressed or worried
Structure (Grammar Rules)
“Weigh on sb” is an inseparable phrasal verb. This means you cannot separate the verb “weigh” from the particle “on” by adding the object in between.
Correct pattern: weigh on + somebody
Incorrect: weigh somebody on
How to Use Weigh on sb?
Use “weigh on sb” when you want to describe how something causes emotional or mental burden. It usually refers to feelings like worry, guilt, or sadness. The subject is often a problem, responsibility, or decision, and the object is the person who feels the pressure.
Example structure: The problem/weigh on + person
Examples
Imagine your friend is worried about an important exam. You could say: “The upcoming exam really weighs on her.”
- His guilty conscience weighed on him all night.
- The decision to move abroad weighed heavily on her mind.
- The responsibility of taking care of his family weighed on him.
- Financial problems can weigh on a person for a long time.
- Unfinished work often weighs on employees.
These examples show how “Weigh on sb in a sentence” expresses emotional burden or stress.
Common Mistakes
People sometimes separate the phrasal verb incorrectly or use the wrong preposition.
- Incorrect: The problem weighs him on.
- Correct: The problem weighs on him.
- Incorrect: The stress weighs off her.
- Correct: The stress weighs on her.
Remember, “weigh on” is inseparable and always followed directly by the person feeling the burden.
Differences / Synonyms
“Weigh on sb” is similar to phrases like “get to sb” or “burden sb,” but there are subtle differences.
- Weigh on sb: Focuses on emotional or mental pressure.
- Get to sb: Means to annoy or upset someone.
- Burden sb: Means to give someone a heavy responsibility or worry.
For example, “The guilt weighed on him” means he felt mentally heavy, while “The noise really got to him” means it annoyed him.
Common Collocations
Certain words often appear with “weigh on sb” to describe what causes the pressure.
- Conscience: Feeling guilty about something.
- Mind: Thoughts or worries that disturb someone.
- Heart: Emotional pain or sadness.
- Responsibility: A duty or task that causes stress.
- Decision: A choice that causes worry or doubt.
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of weigh on sb:
Real-life Dialogue
Two friends talking about stress at work:
Anna: You seem tired lately. Is something wrong?
Ben: Yes, the project deadline is really weighing on me.
Anna: I understand. Try to take breaks and don’t let it weigh you down too much.
Practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of “weigh on”:
- The decision to change jobs ________ him for weeks.
- Her guilty conscience ________ her after the argument.
- Financial problems often ________ many people.
FAQ
- What does “weigh on sb” mean? It means to cause someone to feel emotionally or mentally burdened.
- Is “weigh on sb” separable? No, the phrase is inseparable; you cannot put the object between “weigh” and “on.”
- Can “weigh on sb” be used in formal writing? Yes, it is suitable for both formal and informal contexts when describing emotional pressure.
- What are some common collocations with “weigh on sb”? Common words include conscience, mind, heart, responsibility, and decision.
- Is “weigh on sb” the same as “burden sb”? They are similar but “weigh on sb” refers more to emotional or mental stress, while “burden sb” can mean giving any heavy responsibility.
