pull your weight
Carry your load
To pull your weight is to contribute your fair share to a collective effort.
The image comes from draft animals—each must pull equally for the load to move efficiently.
Someone who doesn't pull their weight leaves others to compensate: Everyone on this team needs to pull their weight.
The phrase implies responsibility and mutual obligation.
- contributeGive to a collective
- effortApplied energy toward goals
- teamworkJoint effort toward shared aim
- sharePortion given out
- share the loadDistribute tasks collectively
load · responsibility · carry · burden · pitch in · chip in · shoulder · all hands on deck · heavy lifting · step up to the plate · slacker · deadweight · fair share · work · work ethic · team player · cooperation · lazy
- workjob, 9 to 5, jobs, labor, employee
- idiomstime flies, hit the sack, seize the day, ring a bell, break a leg
- labor idiomsnose to the grindstone, burning the midnight oil, crunch time, work like a dog, elbow grease
- helpingaid, assist, give a hand, help, helping hand
- independencefreedom, liberty, Independence Day, autonomy, sovereignty
- teamworkteamwork, co-op mode, collaborate, team games, assists