deadweight

noun

dead·​weight ˈded-ˈwāt How to pronounce deadweight (audio)
Synonyms of deadweightnext
1
: the unrelieved weight of an inert mass
2
: dead load
3
: a ship's load including the total weight of cargo, fuel, stores, crew, and passengers

Examples of deadweight in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Next comes some fancy piloting, the detachment of the thrusters, and then the scavenger ship is effectively so much deadweight in space, at least for now. — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2025 The university that once promised to buoy scientific aspirations now feels like a deadweight. — Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2025 That was the point where Sunderland began to fall off the Premier League cliff-edge, and Ndong was a deadweight to hasten their demise. — The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 17 June 2025 As if moving his muscular deadweight weren’t a task itself for the two girls, there’s a point where Jinx falls onto Margo and pins her underwater in the tub. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 13 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for deadweight

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of deadweight was in 1606

Phrases Containing deadweight

Rhymes for deadweight

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Browse Nearby Words

dead water
deadweight
deadweight capacity
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Cite this Entry

“Deadweight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deadweight. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

deadweight

noun
dead·​weight ˈded-ˈwāt How to pronounce deadweight (audio)
: the full weight of a mass that is not moving

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