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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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; 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”

Example Sentences

"Retaining the flow of used petrol and diesel vehicles into the island will help enable a more just transition for islanders, ensuring the burden of change does not unnecessarily impact on those worst off".

From BBC

Without the capital to fund legal action or the influence to lobby for changes, we are left to manage these burdens on our own.

From The Wall Street Journal

She didn’t want to be a financial burden on her sister Kate, yet had to stay away from the séance table.

From Literature

He noted that many shops operate on thin margins, so boosting security measures can be a financial burden.

From Barron's

The stakes are high—Sizewell C was greenlit last year, and this time taxpayers will shoulder more of the burden if the project runs over budget.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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