weigh down

To keep something in place or lower it by putting something heavy on it.

• Weigh down the paper with a stone.
• They weighed the balloon down with sandbags.
• Have you weighed down the corners so the cover cannot blow away?

How to use it: weigh something down with something (We weighed the cover down with stones.)

Similar words: weight, hold down

Common phrases: weigh down something, weigh down covers

If problems or duties affect you this way, they make you feel worried, tired, or unable to cope.

• These worries weigh me down.
• He felt weighed down by guilt.
• Are your responsibilities weighing you down?

How to use it: weigh someone down (Money worries weighed him down.); be weighed down by something (She was weighed down by responsibility.)

Similar words: burden, overwhelm

Opposites: uplift

Common phrases: weigh someone down, weigh down someone

Problems or duties make someone feel worried, tired, or unable to cope.

• Work problems weigh her down.
• Bad news weighed him down all week.
• Do these debts weigh you down?

How to use it: be weighed down by something (He was weighed down by debt.)

Similar words: burden, overwhelm

Opposites: uplift

Common phrases: weigh someone down, weigh down someone

To put heavy objects on something so it cannot move or blow away.

• Weigh down the paper with a stone.
• They weighed the tent down with sandbags.
• Can you weigh these sheets down?

How to use it: weigh something down with something (We weighed the cloth down with stones.)

Similar words: hold down, anchor

Common phrases: weigh down something, weigh something down