encumbrance

/in'kʌmbrəns/ Cách viết khác : (incumbrance) /in'kʌmbrəns/

Học thuật

Thân thiện

The heavy backpack was an encumbrance on the long hike.

Definition

Noun:
- A burden or impediment: Something that is a heavy load, either physically or metaphorically, that hinders movement, progress, or action.
- A legal claim or liability on property: A right or interest, such as a mortgage or lien, held by a party other than the owner that limits the property's use or transfer.
- A troublesome concern or responsibility: An onerous duty or worry that weighs on one's mind.

Usage and Examples

As a physical or figurative burden:
- The heavy backpack was an encumbrance on the long hike.
- Lack of funding is a major encumbrance to the project's completion.
As a legal claim:
- Before buying the house, we must check for any encumbrances, like old mortgages.
- The property cannot be sold freely due to an existing encumbrance.
As a troublesome concern:
- The encumbrance of debt affected all his decisions.
- She felt the encumbrance of caring for her sick relative.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

"Free from encumbrance": A common phrase meaning unburdened, especially regarding property or responsibilities.
- He sold all his assets to live free from encumbrance.
The term often implies something that is not just a minor obstacle but a significant, weighty hindrance.

Variants and Related Words

Encumber (verb): To burden or hamper.
- The company was encumbered by debt.
Encumbered (adjective): Burdened or weighed down.
- He felt encumbered by his obligations.
Unencumbered (adjective): Not burdened or restricted.
- She enjoyed unencumbered freedom after graduation.

Synonyms

Burden: A heavy load.
Hindrance: Something that provides resistance or delay.
Impediment: A hindrance or obstruction in doing something.
Liability: A person or thing likely to cause a disadvantage.
Lien (specific to legal context): A right to keep property until a debt is paid.

Antonyms

Idiomatic Expressions

"A load off one's mind": This idiom relates to the relief felt when an encumbrance (a worry or burden) is removed.
- Finishing the report was a load off my mind.

The heavy backpack was an encumbrance on the long hike.

Noun

any obstruction that impedes or is burdensome
a charge against property (as a lien or mortgage)
an onerous or difficult concern
- the burden of responsibility
- that's a load off my mind

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