burdensome
Americanadjective
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oppressively heavy; onerous.
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distressing; troublesome.
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Nautical. having a full hull form, as a merchant vessel built for capacity rather than speed.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of burdensome
Explanation
Something that's burdensome is very difficult or tiring. It's better to weed your garden regularly, rather than put it off until it becomes an exhausting, burdensome task. Some summer jobs are easy and relaxing, like your laid-back dog walking business — other jobs are much more burdensome, like babysitting a large family of kids or lifeguarding at a pool where people keep nearly drowning. Something that's a burden, a physical load or a duty that weighs heavily on you, is burdensome. The Proto-Indo-European root means "to bear" or "to carry," and also "to give birth."
Vocabulary lists containing burdensome
Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Increasingly burdensome bureaucracy” is another reason one in 12 of all German companies are now worried about their survival, the Munich-based Ifo Institutereported this month.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
However, the incident prompted a backlash, becoming a rallying cry over L.A.’s burdensome filming bureaucracy.
From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026
Washington knows what is driving up prices and which policies are making filing more burdensome, costly, and time-consuming.
From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026
Day-to-day upkeep like mowing the lawn, shoveling snow and even basic housekeeping can become burdensome or unsafe as physical limitations increase.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026
In fact with every step towards the gates of Mordor Frodo felt the Ring on its chain about his neck grow more burdensome.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
