pull (your) weight
Meaning(s)
1. do your fair share of work
Popularity
High
Professional
High
Social
How to Memorize
to succeed, everyone needs to pull their weight
Analysis
To ask someone to pull their weight is to request them to shoulder a burden or take responsibility for an equal share of work or obligations. This is an idiom used in both social and professional contexts.
Social Examples (Basic)
- Alice accused Carol of not pulling her weight around the house because she rarely did her share of the cleaning or shopping.
- I am paying the majority of the rent and the bills. I feel like I'm pulling my weight more than anyone else in this house.
Professional Examples (Basic)
- In the past, Gary always pulled his weight on any given task, but recently he has not been contributing much. I don't think he's enjoying the job anymore.
- If we are to have any chance of finishing this project before the deadline, I need everyone on the team to pull their weight! We cannot afford to carry any passengers.