makeweight
C2Formal, occasionally literary
Definition
Meaning
An object or person added to make up a required weight, amount, or number; something of minor value used to complete a total.
Someone or something considered insignificant, added to fill a gap or meet a minimum requirement; a person or thing included to compensate for a deficiency.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Typically carries a pejorative or dismissive connotation. Refers to something supplemental and of lesser importance compared to the main items.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
More commonly found in British English. American usage is rarer and often in more formal or literary contexts.
Connotations
Equally pejorative in both varieties.
Frequency
Low frequency overall, but significantly higher in British corpora.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[serve/act/function] as a makeweighta makeweight in [something]use [something] as a makeweightVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “be thrown in as a makeweight”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. 'The small shares were acquired as a makeweight in the larger portfolio deal.'
Academic
Occasional in political science/history. 'The smaller nation was a mere makeweight in the alliance between the two great powers.'
Everyday
Very rare. 'I felt like a makeweight at the dinner party, just invited to make up the numbers.'
Technical
Rarely used in literal sense of weights and measures.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The cheaper product was just a makeweight in the promotional bundle.
- He was added to the committee as a makeweight, with no real influence.
- The treaty's environmental clauses were a mere makeweight to secure the vital economic agreement.
- Her role in the coalition government was largely that of a political makeweight, balancing the factions.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a butcher adding a small sausage to the scale to MAKE the WEIGHT on the display reach exactly one kilogram. That sausage is the MAKE-WEIGHT.
Conceptual Metaphor
VALUE IS WEIGHT / IMPORTANCE IS MASS. An insignificant thing is a 'light' thing added to reach a required 'weight'.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate as 'создавать вес' (to create weight).
- Beware of false friends with 'make' + 'weight'.
- The closest conceptual equivalents are 'довесок' or 'незначительный довесок', or figuratively 'марионетка'/'пешка'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'to makeweight the team'). It is primarily a noun.
- Spelling as two words: 'make weight'.
- Confusing with 'make up the weight', which is a phrase, not a compound noun.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'makeweight' LEAST likely to be used appropriately?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is almost exclusively a noun. The verbal concept is expressed with phrases like 'to act as a makeweight' or 'to serve as a makeweight'.
No, it is a low-frequency word, more common in British than American English, and typically used in formal or literary contexts.
It is almost always negative or dismissive, implying insignificance and being used merely to complete a set or meet a requirement.
It is a compound noun from the verb 'make' and the noun 'weight', originating in the 17th century with the literal meaning of something added to scales to make up a standard weight.
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