unburden
Americanverb (used with object)
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unburdens,
present (3rd person singular)
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unburdened,
past participle, past
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unburdening
present participle
verb
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to remove a load or burden from
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to relieve or make free (one's mind, oneself, etc) of a worry, trouble, etc, by revelation or confession
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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unburdensimple
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unburdenssimple
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have unburdenedperfect
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has unburdenedperfect
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am unburdeningprogressive
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are unburdeningprogressive
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is unburdeningprogressive
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have been unburdeningperfect progressive
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has been unburdeningperfect progressive
Past
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unburdenedsimple
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had unburdenedperfect
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was unburdeningprogressive
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were unburdeningprogressive
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had been unburdeningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of unburden
Explanation
When you remove a difficulty or weight from yourself or someone else, you unburden them. Help unburden a friend by carrying her books or by listening to her troubles. When you unburden someone, you take away some burden — a task, hardship, or even something they're worried about. You can unburden new parents by offering to babysit or unburden your little brother by carrying his backpack for him. Another way to unburden is to relieve of an emotional weight: "You may feel better if you unburden yourself. Want to tell me what's on your mind?"
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.
See Examples For:
"When you breathe, you're already rich, you're already a millionaire; all the wealth is in life. I talked with him, and I was able to unburden myself."
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
After winning the trophy, she spoke about the benefits of therapy in helping her unburden herself.
From BBC ● Jan. 25, 2025
“Your goal is to unburden those parts, and once those parts are unburdened, what’s left is your true self, like who you are at your core,” Zupich said.
From Salon ● Dec. 7, 2024
The predictive technologies that are promising to unburden us of the inconveniences of life are also creating a situation where we are gradually more anxious, not less anxious.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2024
White thought that he detected some element of remorse in him, as if he wanted to unburden himself, to protect his wife and children.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
Here, a female devotee unburdens her troubles before Puliyurkali, a powerful manifestation of goddess Kali, seeking solace and divine intervention.
From BBC ● Nov. 30, 2024
There are no murmurs of empathy as he unburdens himself.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 14, 2022
As Stan unburdens his soul to his coconspirator, and wrestles with issues of guilt and shame, the question remains: What do you want to believe, folks?
From Salon ● Dec. 18, 2021
As Changez tells his story to an American in a Lahore cafe, he also unburdens himself to us — and dares us to judge.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2021
In the same letter he unburdens his heart in a burst of eloquent and noble indignation.
From Robert Burns Famous Scots Series by Gabriel Setoun
Sitting on the couch at his new partner’s home one night, he unburdened himself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
Now, Rose felt the pressure - coming undone at Amen Corner's 11th and 12th holes - as McIlroy proved he truly was unburdened.
From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2026
AI-native software startups, unburdened by the baggage of years of design decisions, can leapfrog incumbents with new ways of doing things.
From Barron's ● Feb. 24, 2026
Rather, she prefers to be called a “ball of light” or “God’s helper,” mystifying phrases unburdened by the conventional stigmas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 8, 2025
I loved that I’d caught her in a rare moment, being carefree and unburdened.
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
Stacy’s problem with New York life, and particularly how its version of 1% living shaped her children, is why Preston’s cabin becomes the start of her “Walden”-style unburdening.
From Salon ● Mar. 23, 2026
Once he started unburdening himself of his insecurities and traumas, he probably wouldn’t stop for a week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026
It’s a very unlikely setting for a very unlikely unburdening.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 26, 2024
After unburdening herself from the bipolar diagnosis she had received as a child, she got off psych meds.
From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2024
It is difficult to remember why I came here and why I care about unburdening myself from this beautiful weight.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
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.
