pulls one's weight
Carries fair load
To pull one's weight is to contribute a fair share of effort to a collective task.
The phrase comes from rowing, where each person must pull equally on the oars.
Someone who doesn't pull their weight forces others to compensate: Everyone on this team needs to pull their weight.
The opposite is dead weight—someone carried by others.
- hard workSustained strenuous effort
- work ethicDedication to doing one's job
- pushForce something away
- cooperationJoint action toward shared aims
- dependabilityConsistent trustworthy nature
lift · accountability · peer pressure · shared goals · fairness · synergy · all hands on deck · interdependence · chip in · do one's part · fair share · conscientiousness · mutual support · load · dedication · reciprocity · carry the load · heavy lifting
pulls one's weightfreeloads
Takes without reciprocating
slacks off · coasts · free rides · loafs · dead weight
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