a weighty responsibility

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a weighty responsibility" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a significant or serious obligation that someone has to fulfill. Example: "As the team leader, I feel a weighty responsibility to ensure that our project is completed on time and meets all quality standards."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

12 human-written examples

Leaning forward for emphasis, she conceded, at last, that the power to praise or to hurt a subject is a weighty responsibility.

The New York Times

As Professor Garraty often explained in interviews, deciding whom to admit to the pages of American National Biography was a weighty responsibility.

The New York Times

Mr. Hester, who had spent the previous five years running a high-performance computing company that was one of the first customers for the Opteron, was taking on a weighty responsibility.

The New York Times - Tech

Nothing is less stable than opinion, and nothing more liable to engender fruitless rancor; new technology bears a weighty responsibility for prolonging, even immortalizing, our merest verdicts, far beyond the guttering glow of their natural duration, and, worse still, for admitting those verdicts, however fleeting, as indictable evidence of character.

The New Yorker

It's a weighty responsibility to move their talents where the impact is positive, or commit to standing up against the business imperatives of their employers.

TechCrunch

Facebook's role as a social network for close to one billion people can be a weighty responsibility, and today the company took one more step in the kind of social outreach activities that befit a company with that kind of audience.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

44 human-written examples

But this is a new incarnation of an old and weighty responsibility.

The New Yorker

And I feel like I've got to do the best job that I humanly can, so that we can change the families and change the system, and that feels like a huge and weighty responsibility to make sure I get it right".

The Guardian

The 41-year-old, who was elected to the Senate in 2010 and recently featured on the cover of Time magazine, was given the weighty responsibility of delivering the Republican response to President Barack Obamaa's State of the Union address last Tuesday evening.

Independent

My husband, on the other hand, had only the prospect of our living apart and the weighty responsibility of finding a job near me.

Science Magazine

In a democratic republic like the United States, that power comes with equally weighty responsibility to clearly demonstrate that such action is justified.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a weighty responsibility" to underscore the gravity and importance of a task or duty someone holds. It is suitable when emphasizing the potential consequences of actions or decisions.

Common error

Avoid using "a weighty responsibility" in casual conversations. While grammatically correct, it can sound overly formal or dramatic in everyday situations. Opt for simpler terms like "big job" or "important task" in informal settings.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a weighty responsibility" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the object or subject complement in a sentence. It denotes a significant obligation or duty that carries substantial importance or consequence. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is correctly used to describe an important obligation.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a weighty responsibility" is a noun phrase used to describe a significant obligation or duty. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage in English. It is most commonly found in news and media contexts, where its function is to emphasize the seriousness and importance of the task at hand. While grammatically correct, it is best suited for formal or neutral settings and should be used sparingly in casual conversations. Alternatives include "a significant burden" or "a heavy obligation", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a heavy obligation

Substitutes "responsibility" with "obligation", highlighting the binding nature of the duty.

a significant burden

Replaces "responsibility" with "burden", emphasizing the onerous nature of the task.

a grave duty

Emphasizes the seriousness of the task using "grave" instead of "weighty".

a serious charge

Uses "charge" to convey the entrustment of a significant duty.

an important commitment

Highlights the dedication involved, replacing "responsibility" with "commitment".

a substantial commitment

Similar to "important commitment" but emphasizes the scale of devotion using "substantial".

a considerable undertaking

Focuses on the scale and effort required, using "undertaking" to replace "responsibility".

a demanding task

Emphasizes the effort and difficulty involved, replacing "responsibility" with "task".

a crucial role

Shifts the focus to the importance of the function, using "role" instead of "responsibility".

a pressing concern

Highlights the urgency and importance, using "concern" instead of "responsibility".

FAQs

How can I use "a weighty responsibility" in a sentence?

You can use "a weighty responsibility" to describe a significant duty or obligation. For example, "The president bears "a weighty responsibility" to protect the nation's interests."

What are some alternatives to "a weighty responsibility"?

Alternatives include "a significant burden", "a heavy obligation", or "a grave duty" depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "a weighty responsibility" in casual conversation?

While grammatically correct, "a weighty responsibility" is more suitable for formal or serious contexts. In casual conversation, consider using simpler phrases like "a big task" or "an important job".

What makes a responsibility "weighty"?

A responsibility is considered "weighty" when it carries significant consequences, requires careful consideration, and involves a high degree of accountability. It implies that the task is not to be taken lightly.