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Showing results for overburden. Search instead for over-burden.
Synonyms

overburden

American  
[oh-ver-bur-dn, oh-ver-bur-dn] / ˌoʊ vərˈbɜr dn, ˈoʊ vərˌbɜr dn /

verb (used with object)

  1. to load with too great a burden; overload.

    He was overburdened with cares.

noun

  1. an excessive burden.

  2. Also called burden, capping.  Mining. waste earth and rock covering a mineral deposit.

overburden British  

verb

  1. (tr) to load with excessive weight, work, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. an excessive burden or load

  2. geology the sedimentary rock material that covers coal seams, mineral veins, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • overburdensome adjective

Etymology

Origin of overburden

First recorded in 1570–80; over- + burden 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.

People, the report says, were deterred from accessing health care because they did not want to overburden the NHS.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

Even so, to overburden a few food metaphors, there are a lot of flavors at play in Healy’s poignant, surreal family drama.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 6, 2023

They won’t overburden him the way the Angels have, or the way many other teams would.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 13, 2023

The published proposal said $100 billion should be a "minimum" and provide a safety net when climate impacts overburden a country's capacity to cope.

From Reuters • Sep. 6, 2023

“We cannot overburden our pack animals; the Princess Eilonwy and Gurgi will share our own horses.”

From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander

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.