unburden
Americanverb (used with object)
-
unburdens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
unburdened,
past participle, past
-
unburdening
present participle
verb
-
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
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
unburdensimple
-
unburdenssimple
-
have unburdenedperfect
-
has unburdenedperfect
-
am unburdeningprogressive
-
are unburdeningprogressive
-
is unburdeningprogressive
-
have been unburdeningperfect progressive
-
has been unburdeningperfect progressive
Past
-
unburdenedsimple
-
had unburdenedperfect
-
was unburdeningprogressive
-
were unburdeningprogressive
-
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
IFS is a way to unburden the self and have a more integrated inner system, Morin said.
From Salon ● Dec. 7, 2024
Those who support a more rehabilitative approach have hailed Gascón’s efforts as proof that pursuing a different tack can unburden the criminal justice system and help build lives and communities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2024
I started to talk to her, to finally unburden my heart of some of the things I’d been fretting about.
From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals
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
Even Bush's ballads don't sound lugubrious: Unfettered by sonic gravity or pop conventions, she exudes exquisite grace as she unburdens herself.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2018
When he unburdens himself about his problems, he ruins a dinner party.
From New York Times ● Oct. 3, 2017
In bodies which abound in gross humours, this immoderate flow sometimes unburdens nature of her load and ought not to be checked without a physician's advice.
Sitting on the couch at his new partner’s home one night, he unburdened himself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
During the visit, a month before the child's death, Varley had "unburdened" himself about not "bonding" with Preston and struggling with the demands of looking after a baby.
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026
AI-native software start-ups, unburdened by the baggage of years of design decisions, can leapfrog incumbents with new ways of doing things.
From Barron's ● Feb. 24, 2026
Detached and unburdened by the need of a narrative, the images simply exist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 23, 2026
It felt too good to walk across the garden unburdened by heavy skirts.
From "Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson
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
After unburdening herself from the bipolar diagnosis she had received as a child, she got off psych meds.
From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2024
He is reluctant to spill his secrets, but it’s only a matter of time before he joins the others in unburdening his soul.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 26, 2024
If you re-watch those old "Red Talk Talk" unburdening sessions, Will was the one leading the narrative — not his wife.
From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2023
She wept for a long time, unburdening herself of many past sorrows and her loneliness, still holding on to Clara’s hand.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
