unburden

[ uhn-bur-dn ]

See synonyms for: unburden unburdened unburdening unburdens on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to free from a burden.
to relieve (one's mind, conscience, etc.) by revealing or confessing something.

to cast off or get rid of, as a burden or something burdensome; disclose; reveal: He unburdened the worries that plagued him.

Origin of unburden

First recorded in 1530–40; un-² + burden¹

Other words for unburden

confide

See synonyms for unburden on Thesaurus.com

Words Nearby unburden

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use unburden in a sentence

In the rush to unburden itself from its liabilities, Evergrande is reportedly exploring sales for these assets, but buyers are hard to come by.
China Evergrande’s debt crisis is rattling global markets. Here’s why. | Jacob Bogage | September 21, 2021 | Washington Post
As a tradeoff for providing states like these with a set amount of funding that would decline in value over time, the Clinton administration promised each state more flexibility over how it could use the dollars, unburdened by federal regulation.
These Single Moms Are Forced to Choose: Reveal Their Sexual Histories or Forfeit Welfare | by Eli Hager, photography by Adria Malcolm, special to ProPublica | September 17, 2021 | ProPublica
Hell, it might even be better, because you’d be unburdened by years of expectations and lore.
The Final Fantasy VII Remake Shouldn't Exist — But I'm So Glad it Does | Matthew Gault | April 9, 2020 | Time
My mother was a good woman, but she didn't realize how I often longed to unburden my heart to her.
The value of a praying mother | Isabel C. Byrum
You too have a skeleton in the family, I perceive; so let's unburden our souls and exchange confidences.
A Fortune Hunter; Or, The Old Stone Corral | John Dunloe Carteret

Constantine, Gorgo and old Eusebius were left together, and the young girl was longing to unburden her over-full heart.
Serapis, Complete | Georg Ebers
Garson hesitated for a moment, then decided to unburden himself, for he craved precise knowledge in this matter.
Within the Law | Marvin Dana
I understood well enough that it was through sympathy that he had invited me to unburden.
Who Goes There? | Blackwood Ketcham Benson

British Dictionary definitions for unburden

unburden

/ (ʌnˈbɜːdən) /

verb(tr)

to remove a load or burden from
to relieve or make free (one's mind, oneself, etc) of a worry, trouble, etc, by revelation or confession

Archaic spelling: unburthen (ʌnˈbɜːðən)

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

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