laden

American  

[leyd-n] / ˈleɪd n /

adjective

1. burdened; loaded down.

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verb (used with object)

1. to lade.

laden British  

/ ˈleɪdən /

verb

1. a past participle of lade 1

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adjective

1. weighed down with a load; loaded

2. encumbered; burdened

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unladen
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of laden

First recorded in 1585–95; lade + -en ³, -en ¹

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.

Example Sentences

Guardiola announced on 22 May he would step down as City boss after a trophy laden decade in charge, and Maresca was quickly identified as the leading contender to be his replacement.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

The emptied vessel then returns to Iran—or at least used to, before the blockade—while the newly laden one steams on to China.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

The emptied vessel then returns to Iran—or at least used to, before the blockade—while the newly laden one steams on to China.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

The emptied vessel then returns to Iran—or at least used to, before the blockade—while the newly laden one steams on to China.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

He had a square house with a red tile roof, and his garden was full of heavily laden banana and papaya trees.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer