cumbersome

American  

[kuhm-ber-suhm] / ˈkʌm bər səm /

adjective

1. burdensome; troublesome.

   Synonyms:

   onerous, weighty, heavy

2. unwieldy; clumsy.

   Synonyms:

   awkward

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cumbersome British  

/ ˈkʌmbəsəm, ˈkʌmbrəs /

adjective

1. awkward because of size, weight, or shape

   cumbersome baggage

2. difficult because of extent or complexity

   cumbersome accounts

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Other Word Forms

• cumbersomely adverb
• cumbersomeness noun

Etymology

Origin of cumbersome

First recorded in 1325–75, cumbersome is from the Middle English word cummyrsum. See cumber, -some ¹

Example Sentences

Hegseth’s language choices and petulant tone do not demonstrate an ignorance of what rhetorical situations demand of him; instead, they reflect a refusal to be emasculated by such cumbersome norms.

From Salon

Mixing private with public assets, as giant asset managers are racing to do, is confusing, cumbersome and risky.

From The Wall Street Journal

In more recent decades, Israel lost that offensive edge, and the army was forced into cumbersome urban warfare.

From The Wall Street Journal

I was just clambering over a particularly cumbersome piece of equipment when something brought me up short.

From Literature

This was expensive, cumbersome, and incurred many internal costs.

From Barron's

Related Words

• bulky
• burdensome
• embarrassing
• heavy
• inconvenient
• ponderous
• tiresome
• unwieldy