burdensome
/'bə:dnsəm/
Học thuậtThân thiện
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
- 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