adjective
-
awkward because of size, weight, or shape
cumbersome baggage
-
difficult because of extent or complexity
cumbersome accounts
Other Word Forms
- cumbersomely adverb
- cumbersomeness noun
Etymology
Origin of cumbersome
First recorded in 1325–75, cumbersome is from the Middle English word cummyrsum. See cumber, -some 1
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.
Payable-on-death avoids probate — a public, cumbersome and time-consuming process — and it simplifies your estate planning when the time comes; more than that, it’s private.
From MarketWatch
"It's about extending our ability to reason using data when the physics is unknown, hidden, or too cumbersome to write down."
From Science Daily
Williams has to maintain not only the period of the play but also its cumbersome patois.
From Los Angeles Times
This time around, the thieves escaped on foot, struggling to carry the cumbersome frames down the street as passersby pushed past unaware.
Ultimately, the company’s Horizon Worlds virtual environment was underbaked, while VR headsets and hand controllers remain too cumbersome for everyday use.
From Barron's
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.
