- past participle of lade.
laden
Americanadjective
verb (used with object)
verb
adjective
-
weighed down with a load; loaded
-
encumbered; burdened
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of laden
Explanation
Something that is laden is weighted down by something heavy, like an apple tree that's laden with fruit. Laden comes from the Old English word hladan, meaning "to load, heap." Think of the related word ladle, a big scoop you dip into something, such as soup or hot fudge. Laden can be a verb that describes using a ladle or otherwise filling or loading something up, like a teacher who ladens students with homework. Laden can be an adjective that describes the feeling of burden or stress from all that work.
Vocabulary lists containing laden
"The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe
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"Of Mice and Men"
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NAEP Test Words
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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.
Near Darkness lurks a table laden with sugar-crusted fruit and an elaborately stemmed flute holding what looks like champagne.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
Analysts need to establish whether it was laden with oil or sailing empty.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
A few miles outside Guerneville at Steelhead Beach, several men stepped into the water, laden with flotation devices.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Another 1st or 2nd Century BC vessel was found north-west of Rome in 2023, again laden with hundreds of amphorae.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
“It’s none of your business. And I’ll thank you,” she added angrily to Ron, who had just appeared at George’s elbow, laden with merchandise, “not to tell tales about me to these two!”
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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.
