Definition

1. Noun:

   • A heavy load: A physical weight that is carried.
   • A difficult or oppressive duty, responsibility, or worry: Something that is emotionally or mentally hard to bear.
   • The central theme or main idea: The principal topic or message expanded upon in a speech or piece of writing.
   • The carrying capacity of a ship: The weight of cargo a ship can carry.

2. Verb:

   • To load heavily: To put a heavy weight on someone or something.
   • To cause difficulty or worry: To impose a troublesome duty, responsibility, or problem on someone.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • The donkey struggled under the heavy burden. (Referring to a physical load.)
  • Managing the family business became a great burden after his father's death. (Referring to a difficult responsibility.)
  • The burden of the article was the need for environmental reform. (Referring to the central theme.)
  • The ship's burden was 500 tons. (Referring to carrying capacity.)

• Verb:

  • They burdened the truck with too much cargo. (Referring to loading heavily.)
  • She didn't want to burden her friends with her personal problems. (Referring to imposing worry.)

Advanced Usage

• "Beast of burden": An animal used for carrying heavy loads.

  • For centuries, camels have been used as beasts of burden in desert regions.

• "The burden of proof": The obligation to prove one's assertion in a dispute.

  • In a court of law, the burden of proof lies with the prosecution.

• "A burden off one's mind/shoulders": A relief from a worry or responsibility.

  • Finishing the project was a burden off my shoulders.

Variants and Related Words

• Burdened (adj): Weighted down with a load or trouble.
  • He looked burdened with care.
• Burdenless (adj): Without a burden.
• Burdensome (adj): Causing difficulty or hardship; oppressive.
  • The administrative tasks were burdensome.

Synonyms

• Noun: Load, weight, onus, responsibility, duty, encumbrance, strain, core, theme, gist.
• Verb: Load, weigh down, encumber, saddle, tax, overwhelm.

Related Phrasal Verbs/Constructions

• To burden someone with something: To give someone a duty or problem that causes worry.
  • He burdened his assistant with endless extra tasks.

Related Idioms

• "Shoulder the burden": To accept and bear a heavy responsibility.
  • As the eldest, she had to shoulder the burden of caring for her siblings.
• "A burden shared is a burden halved": A problem becomes easier to bear if you talk about it with someone.
  • Remember, a burden shared is a burden halved, so don't hesitate to talk to me.

Noun

1. the central idea that is expanded in a document or discourse
2. the central meaning or theme of a speech or literary work
3. weight to be borne or conveyed
4. an onerous or difficult concern
   • the burden of responsibility
   • that's a load off my mind

Verb

1. impose a task upon, assign a responsibility to
   • He charged her with cleaning up all the files over the weekend
2. weight down with a load