overweigh

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to exceed in weight, force, importance, or influence; to outweigh; archaic

   The witness hoped that years of good conduct would overweigh the accusation.

2. 2
   verb

   to weigh down or burden heavily; archaic

   The ceremonial crown seemed to overweigh the exhausted ruler.

From Middle English overweghen, formed from over- + weigh and attested in the Ancrene Wisse. It could mean either to weigh more heavily or to press down with excessive weight. In most present-day contexts, outweigh has replaced it.

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