1
: the unrelieved weight of an inert mass
2
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
Ship capacity transiting through the Panama Canal was 10 percent lower between September 2024 and January 2025 than the 2019-22 average, measured in deadweight tonnage, according to the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO).
—
Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 8 Feb. 2025
It was sent to space as a piece of deadweight on the inaugural test flight of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket, and the vehicle is now destined to spend eternity soaring aimlessly through our cosmic neighborhood.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 7 Feb. 2025
Not to mention cutting out the deadweight middlemen in publishing.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
That represented 68% of the vessels when measured by deadweight, and the lowest number of tankers tracked with IG club insurance, surpassing 67% uninsured recorded in July and August.
—Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deadweight 
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.
Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 8 Feb. 2025
It was sent to space as a piece of deadweight on the inaugural test flight of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket, and the vehicle is now destined to spend eternity soaring aimlessly through our cosmic neighborhood.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 7 Feb. 2025
Not to mention cutting out the deadweight middlemen in publishing.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
That represented 68% of the vessels when measured by deadweight, and the lowest number of tankers tracked with IG club insurance, surpassing 67% uninsured recorded in July and August.
—Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deadweight
Dictionary Entries Near deadweight
Cite this Entry
“Deadweight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deadweight. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
deadweight
noun
dead·weight
ˈded-ˈwāt 
: the full weight of a mass that is not moving
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share