unburden

American  

[uhn-bur-dn] / ʌnˈbɜr dn /

verb (used with object)

1. to free from a burden.

2. to relieve (one's mind, conscience, etc.) by revealing or confessing something.

3. to cast off or get rid of, as a burden or something burdensome; disclose; reveal.

   He unburdened the worries that plagued him.

   Synonyms:

   confide

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unburden British  

/ ʌnˈbɜːdən /

verb

1. to remove a load or burden from

2. to relieve or make free (one's mind, oneself, etc) of a worry, trouble, etc, by revelation or confession

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Etymology

Origin of unburden

First recorded in 1530–40; un- ² + burden ¹

Explanation

When you remove a difficulty or weight from yourself or someone else, you unburden them. Help unburden a friend by carrying her books or by listening to her troubles. When you unburden someone, you take away some burden — a task, hardship, or even something they're worried about. You can unburden new parents by offering to babysit or unburden your little brother by carrying his backpack for him. Another way to unburden is to relieve of an emotional weight: "You may feel better if you unburden yourself. Want to tell me what's on your mind?"

Example Sentences

"Unburden thyself; I will listen, though thou recounted the assassination of my dearest friend."

From The Bravo by Cooper, James Fenimore

Come, freely come, by sin oppressed, Unburden here thy weighty load; Here find thy refuge and thy rest, And trust the mercy of thy God.

From The Story of the Hymns and Tunes by Brown, Theron

Unburden, un-bur′dn, v.t. to take a burden off: to free the mind from any weight or anxiety: to disclose—also Unbur′then.—adj.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various

"Unburden yourself, Pierre, for heaven's sake!" he said.

From Thelma by Corelli, Marie

Time mocks me with fair promises; A blooming future grows a barren past, Like rain my fair full-blossomed trees Unburden in the blast.

From The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar by Howells, William Dean