Phrase guide

weed out

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

verb

Meaning 1

To remove (unwanted elements) from a group.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, transitive

Examples

  • To weed out problem users, watch new people's behavior.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

remove unwanted elements

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The company weeded out the incompetent people
  • The new law weeds out the old inequities

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: comb out

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: get rid of, remove

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

21 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 清除 (qīngchú) — to remove unwanted elements
  • Chinese Mandarin: 剔除 (tīchú) — to remove unwanted elements
  • Chinese Mandarin: 淘汰 (táotài) — to remove unwanted elements
  • Finnish: karsia — to remove unwanted elements
  • Finnish: kitkeä — to remove unwanted elements
  • German: aussortieren — to remove unwanted elements
  • Italian: disfarsi — to remove unwanted elements
  • Italian: sbarazzarsi — to remove unwanted elements
  • Italian: liberarsi — to remove unwanted elements
  • Japanese: 取り除く (torinozoku) — to remove unwanted elements
  • Central Kurdish: بژار کردن (bjar kirdin) — to remove unwanted elements
  • Latin: runco — to remove unwanted elements
  • Latin: ēruncō — to remove unwanted elements
  • Polish: wypleniać — to remove unwanted elements
  • Polish: wyplenić — to remove unwanted elements
  • Russian: отсеять (otsejatʹ) — to remove unwanted elements
  • Spanish: desbrozar — to remove unwanted elements
  • Spanish: escardar — to remove unwanted elements
  • Spanish: sallar — to remove unwanted elements
  • Swedish: rensa bort — to remove unwanted elements
  • Swedish: gallra bort — to remove unwanted elements