Dead weight is something heavy and useless that slows you down or makes a task harder without providing any benefit. When workers load cargo onto a ship, dead weight might be empty crates or broken equipment that takes up space and adds burden without serving a purpose. In a group project, a team member who doesn't contribute while others do all the work becomes dead weight, making the task harder for everyone else.

The term comes from the literal meaning: weight that's completely inactive, like trying to carry someone who's gone limp and can't help support themselves. Dead weight is harder to move than the same amount of weight that can shift or help itself along. Imagine carrying a fifty-pound bag of sand (which just sits there) versus walking alongside a fifty-pound dog (which moves with you).

A business might cut dead weight by eliminating expenses that don't help the company grow. A basketball coach might say that keeping an injured player on the roster creates dead weight if they can't play. The key idea is always the same: something that burdens you without giving anything back, like dragging an anchor when you're trying to sail forward.