Other forms: outweighed, outweighs, outweighing
To outweigh is to matter more than the other side of the scale. The benefits outweigh the risks, outweighed by the cost, clearly outweigh.
It is the standard verb for weighing two considerations against each other, and it appears in every risk assessment and medical decision. The metaphor is a balance. Note that the out- prefix means surpassing, as in outrun and outnumber, and that English makes such verbs freely.
1verboutweighTo matter more than the other side of the scale.
“For most people, the benefits of regular exercise far outweigh the risks.”
outweigh is an exceeding in importance.
Proto-Indo-European
*weǵʰ-
Middle English
weyen
English
weigh
English, today
outweigh
Built from
From out- + weigh. weigh comes from Middle English weyen. From Middle English weyen, from Old English wegan, from Proto-West Germanic wegan, from Proto-Germanic weganą (“to move, carry, weigh”), from Proto-Indo-European wéǵʰeti, from weǵʰ- (“to bring, transport”). 2
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA