burden

¹ American  

[bur-dn] / ˈbɜr dn /

noun

1. that which is carried; load.

   a horse's burden of rider and pack.

2. that which is borne with difficulty; obligation; onus.

   the burden of leadership.

   Synonyms:

   impediment, encumbrance, weight

3. Nautical.

   1. the weight of a ship's cargo.

   2. the carrying capacity of a ship.

4. Mining. overburden.

5. Metallurgy. the minerals charged into a blast furnace or steelmaking furnace.

6. Accounting. overhead.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to load heavily.

2. to load oppressively; trouble.

   Synonyms:

   vex, grieve, plague, perturb, afflict, try, saddle, weigh down

burden ² American  

[bur-dn] / ˈbɜr dn /

noun

1. the main point, message, or idea.

   Synonyms:

   essence, nucleus, crux, core, substance, gist

2. Music. the refrain or recurring chorus of a song.

---

burden ¹ British  

/ ˈbɜːdən /

noun

1. something that is carried; load

2. something that is exacting, oppressive, or difficult to bear

   the burden of responsibility

3. nautical

   1. the cargo capacity of a ship

   2. the weight of a ship's cargo

---

verb

1. (sometimes foll by up) to put or impose a burden on; load

2. to weigh down; oppress

   the old woman was burdened with cares

burden ² British  

/ ˈbɜːdən /

noun

1. a line of words recurring at the end of each verse of a ballad or similar song; chorus or refrain

2. the principal or recurrent theme of a speech, book, etc

3. another word for bourdon

---

Related Words

See load.

Other Word Forms

• burdener noun
• burdenless adjective

Etymology

Origin of burden¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, birthen, birden, Old English byrthen; akin to German Bürde, Gothic baurthei; see also bear ¹

Origin of burden²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English bordoun, burdoun “drone, bass,” from Old French bourdon “droning sound, instrument making such a sound”

Explanation

Getting hired as the assistant to a pastry chef seemed like a dream come true. But one week and 100 cupcakes later, it’s become a hard-to-bear burden accompanied by a permanent stomachache. Burden is one of those words that doubles as a noun and a verb. Defined as something you carry or withstand with much difficulty when used as a noun, and as the act of weighing down, overloading, or oppressing when used as a verb, it’s a word with a negative charge. Now that you know what it means, you’re equipped to make sure you don’t take on unnecessary burdens (getting pressured into always carrying your neighbor’s groceries upstairs), or become one yourself!

Example Sentences

If you did have reason to believe financial malfeasance took place, the burden of proof through the courts would be on your shoulders.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 25, 2026

He said it imposed a “very modest burden of substantiation” for victims to show Purdue had harmed them, “an exceedingly low bar.”

From Salon • Apr. 24, 2026

The delay will also place a heavy burden on children's health, resulting in 41,000 pre-term births, 17,000 new cases of childhood asthma, and 370 deaths among children under five, the report said.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

Executives say that price increases on international flights have been more substantial and are covering more the burden from rising fuel costs than domestic flights.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

“I will not be a burden to you. I am happy enough here, people are used to me and to my son. I cannot start a new life now.”

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

Related Words

• anxiety
• concern
• difficulty
• duty
• hardship
• load
• onus
• responsibility
• strain
• task
• tax
• trouble
• worry