burdensome

American  

[bur-dn-suhm] / ˈbɜr dn səm /

adjective

1. oppressively heavy; onerous.

2. distressing; troublesome.

3. Nautical. having a full hull form, as a merchant vessel built for capacity rather than speed.

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burdensome British  

/ ˈbɜːdənsəm /

adjective

1. hard to bear; onerous

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Other Word Forms

• burdensomely adverb
• burdensomeness noun
• nonburdensome adjective
• nonburdensomely adverb
• nonburdensomeness noun
• unburdensome adjective

Etymology

Origin of burdensome

First recorded in 1570–80; burden ¹ + -some ¹

Example Sentences

In November, it got rid of quality-control orders—a burdensome licensing requirement—on 25 industrial inputs.

From The Wall Street Journal

“For too long, burdensome red tape has stood in the way of progress localities want to see, making it too hard to deliver critical housing and infrastructure,” Hochul said in a statement.

From The Wall Street Journal

Larger banks also face stress tests and other burdensome regulations that smaller banks don’t.

From The Wall Street Journal

Overlapping authority has more broadly created a burdensome and confusing regulatory environment that drives up costs.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We must tackle the issue of burdensome fines, fees and assessments that disproportionately drag low-income individuals deeper into debt and away from full participation in their communities,” Newsom wrote at the time.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• demanding
• difficult
• onerous
• oppressive
• taxing