burden
1that which is carried; load: a horse's burden of rider and pack.
that which is borne with difficulty; obligation; onus: the burden of leadership.
Nautical.
the weight of a ship's cargo.
the carrying capacity of a ship.
Mining. overburden (def. 3).
Metallurgy. the minerals charged into a blast furnace or steelmaking furnace.
Accounting. overhead (def. 6).
to load heavily.
to load oppressively; trouble.
Origin of burden
1synonym study For burden
Other words for burden
Other words from burden
- bur·den·er, noun
- bur·den·less, adjective
Words Nearby burden
Other definitions for burden (2 of 2)
the main point, message, or idea.
Music. the refrain or recurring chorus of a song.
Origin of burden
2Other words for burden
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use burden in a sentence
“If Charleston harbor needs improvement, let the commerce of Charleston bear the burden,” he said.
Steve Scalise Shows There’s a Fine Line Between Confederate & Southern | Lloyd Green | January 2, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTThe constitutional problem with this ruling, experts say, is that it places an extra burden on women for being pregnant.
States Slap Pregnant Women With Harsher Jail Sentences | Emily Shire | December 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOf course, the reason such waiting lists exist is that funding everyone would be a financial burden states could not bear.
Medicaid Will Give You Money for At-Home Care, but You Might Wait Years | Elizabeth Picciuto | December 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST“There are indications that decriminalization can reduce the burden on criminal justice systems,” the report said.
“No nation in history has ever survived a tax burden that reached a third of its national income,” he warned.
The rich Chinese were robbed and the labouring class were pressed into service fit for beasts of burden.
The Philippine Islands | John ForemanShe could not be anything but a burden and a torment; her last years would probably be dreadful, both for herself and for others.
Hilda Lessways | Arnold BennettUnder ordinary circumstances these men can travel with their burden from twenty to thirty miles a day.
Our Little Korean Cousin | H. Lee M. PikeHence, in their professed attempt to aid the memory, they really impose a new and additional burden upon it.
Assimilative Memory | Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)The financial burden of the war, as the full measure of it dawned upon our minds, seemed to betoken a universal bankruptcy.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice | Stephen Leacock
British Dictionary definitions for burden (1 of 2)
/ (ˈbɜːdən) /
something that is carried; load
something that is exacting, oppressive, or difficult to bear: the burden of responsibility Related adjective: onerous
nautical
the cargo capacity of a ship
the weight of a ship's cargo
(sometimes foll by up) to put or impose a burden on; load
to weigh down; oppress: the old woman was burdened with cares
Origin of burden
1British Dictionary definitions for burden (2 of 2)
/ (ˈbɜːdən) /
a line of words recurring at the end of each verse of a ballad or similar song; chorus or refrain
the principal or recurrent theme of a speech, book, etc
another word for bourdon
Origin of burden
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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