What Does โWeigh on sthโ Mean?
โWeigh on sthโ means to cause worry, stress, or a heavy feeling about something, often emotionally or mentally.
Introduction
The phrase โWeigh on sthโ is a common phrasal verb used to describe feelings of pressure or burden. When something โweighs onโ a person, it means it causes them to feel troubled or stressed. Understanding the Weigh on sth meaning helps learners express emotions related to worry or stress clearly. This phrase is useful in both casual and formal conversations, making it important for English learners to know how to use it correctly. You will often hear it when people talk about difficult decisions, sadness, or ongoing problems that affect their mood or thoughts.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: weigh on something
- Type: transitive
- Level: B2
- Short meaning: to cause worry or stress
Structure (Grammar Rules)
โWeigh on sthโ is an inseparable phrasal verb, meaning you cannot put the object between โweighโ and โon.โ
Correct structure: weigh + on + something
Example: The problem weighs on my mind.
Incorrect: weigh the problem on my mind.
How to Use Weigh on sth?
Use โweigh on sthโ when you want to talk about something that causes emotional or mental burden. It often refers to feelings like worry, guilt, or sadness. You can use it in various tenses depending on the time frame.
- Present: It weighs on me.
- Past: It weighed on her conscience.
- Continuous: It is weighing on him lately.
Examples
Here are some examples of Weigh on sth in a sentence:
- The decision to move abroad really weighs on her.
- Financial problems have been weighing on him for months.
- The guilt of lying weighed on his heart.
- These worries weigh on me every day.
- Her past mistakes still weigh on her mind.
Common Mistakes
Sometimes learners confuse the structure or use the wrong preposition. Hereโs how to avoid mistakes:
- Incorrect: The problem weighs my mind.
- Correct: The problem weighs on my mind.
- Incorrect: It is weighing with me.
- Correct: It is weighing on me.
Differences / Synonyms
โWeigh on sthโ is similar to phrases like โbear down on,โ โpress on,โ or โget to someone,โ but it specifically refers to emotional or mental stress. For example:
- Weigh on: emotional burden (e.g., guilt weighs on her)
- Bear down on: pressure or force (e.g., deadlines bear down on us)
- Get to someone: emotionally affect (e.g., the criticism really got to him)
Use โweigh onโ when talking about ongoing mental or emotional pressure.
Common Collocations
Some common words that often follow โweigh onโ include:
- mind โ to think about something that causes worry
- conscience โ feeling guilty
- heart โ emotional burden
- thoughts โ persistent worries
- responsibility โ feeling burdened by duty
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of weigh on sth:
Real-life Dialogue
Listen to this short conversation using โweigh on sthโ:
Anna: You look worried. Is something weighing on your mind?
Ben: Yes, Iโve been thinking about the upcoming exam all day. It really weighs on me.
Anna: I understand. Just try to relax and prepare step by step.
Practice
Complete the sentences by filling in the blanks with the correct form of โweigh on sthโ:
- The secret he kept for years _______ on his conscience.
- Financial difficulties have been _______ on her lately.
- Donโt let worries _______ your mind too much.
FAQ
- What does โweigh on sthโ mean? It means to cause someone to feel worried or stressed.
- Is โweigh on sthโ separable? No, it is inseparable. The object always comes after โon.โ
- Can โweigh on sthโ be used in past tense? Yes, for example, โIt weighed on her conscience.โ
- What are common objects used with โweigh onโ? Mind, conscience, heart, thoughts, responsibility.
- Is โweigh onโ formal or informal? It can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
