Definition

Adjective: 1. Causing difficulty or hardship; oppressive: Describes something that imposes a heavy load, whether physical, emotional, or metaphorical, making it hard to bear or manage. 2. Wearing; taxing: Refers to something that is tiring or demanding, requiring significant effort and causing fatigue.

Usage and Examples

• General Use: Used to describe tasks, responsibilities, regulations, or situations that feel excessively heavy or difficult.
  • The burdensome paperwork delayed the project for weeks.
  • Caring for her sick relative while working full-time became a burdensome responsibility.
• Formal/Administrative Context: Often used to describe official duties, taxes, or bureaucratic processes.
  • The company complained about the burdensome new regulations.
  • Preparing the annual tax return is a burdensome task for many.

Advanced Usage

• "to find something burdensome": A common collocation expressing the subjective experience of finding a duty or situation oppressive.
  • She began to find the constant travel burdensome and decided to look for a local job.
• "increasingly burdensome": Used to describe something that is becoming more difficult to bear over time.
  • The debt load became increasingly burdensome for the small business.

Variants and Related Words

• Burden (noun/verb): The core noun meaning a heavy load or responsibility, and the verb meaning to load or encumber.
  • The financial burden was too much to bear. (Noun)
  • I don't want to burden you with my problems. (Verb)
• Burdensomely (adverb): In a burdensome manner. (Note: This is a rare and formal usage).
• Burdensomeness (noun): The state or quality of being burdensome. (Note: This is a rare and formal usage).

Synonyms

• Onerous: Imposing a heavy, often legal or moral, obligation. ()
• Arduous: Involving strenuous effort and difficulty, typically over a long period. ()
• Taxing: Physically or mentally demanding; draining. ()
• Oppressive: Unjustly inflicting hardship and constraint; overwhelmingly heavy. ()

Antonyms

• Light
• Easy
• Effortless
• Undemanding

Related Phrases and Idioms

• "A burden to bear": A difficult responsibility or problem one must accept and deal with.
  • The secret was a heavy burden to bear for many years.
• "To burden someone with something": To give someone a duty, problem, or responsibility that is hard for them to manage.
  • He didn't want to burden her with the bad news.

Adjective

1. not easily borne; wearing; I only had to greet the guests"
   • the burdensome task of preparing the income tax return
   • my duties weren't onerous
   • a taxing schedule