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; 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

"No words of compassion can ease this pain of loss, this burden of great suffering, when one must bury young people," the priest told black-clothed mourners, weeping or clutching flowers and holding each other.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

“I started getting tattoos,” he continued, “and then I thought: not difficult enough. Why don’t I compose some really niche, obscure film scores for films that don’t exist and burden your Monday night?”

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

Paintings and photographs dating back to the 19th Century show adults and children alike enjoying a spin on the back of one of these sturdy beasts of burden.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

Cutting some of this regulatory burden could help stimulate growth, he says.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

“Never mind, it doesn’t matter either way. I am your superior; I can’t burden you with such things.”

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

Related Words

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