unburden
/ɳn'bə:dn/
Definition
- Verb:
- To remove a burden or load from someone or something: To free from a physical weight or something that is carried.
- To relieve someone of a mental or emotional burden: To free someone from worry, guilt, or a secret by sharing it or confessing it.
Usage
- Transitive Verb: "Unburden" is typically used with a direct object (the person or thing being freed from the burden).
- She unburdened the horse after the long journey. (She removed the saddle and packs from the horse.)
- He wanted to unburden his conscience by telling the truth. (He wanted to relieve his guilty feelings by confessing.)
- Reflexive Use: Often used with the reflexive pronoun "oneself" to mean to free oneself of a worry or secret by talking about it.
- She needed to unburden herself to a trusted friend.
Examples
- Physical Burden:
- Please help me unburden the cart so we can rest.
- The porter unburdened the traveler of his heavy suitcase.
- Emotional/Mental Burden:
- In therapy, he finally unburdened himself of his childhood trauma.
- She felt lighter after unburdening her fears to her sister.
Advanced Usage
- "Unburden oneself of something": This is a common construction emphasizing what specific worry, secret, or guilt is being confessed or released.
- He unburdened himself of the secret he had kept for years.
- "Unburden one's mind/soul/heart": These phrases specifically refer to relieving psychological or emotional distress.
- Writing in a journal can be a way to unburden your mind.
Variants and Related Words
- Unburdened (adjective): Describes someone or something that is free from a burden.
- He felt unburdened after the confession.
- Burden (noun/verb): The weight or source of difficulty that is removed.
- The financial burden was too great. (Noun)
- I don't want to burden you with my problems. (Verb)
Synonyms
- Relieve: To alleviate or free from pain, distress, or difficulty.
- Disencumber: To free from a burden or impediment (more formal).
- Confide: To tell someone a secret or private matter while trusting them not to repeat it (specific to sharing secrets).
Phrasal Verbs / Related Constructions
- Unburden to (someone): To confess or share one's troubles with a specific person.
- She unburdened all her worries to her best friend.
Related Idioms
- To get something off one's chest: (Idiom) To unburden oneself by talking about a problem or worry. This idiom is a more informal equivalent for the emotional sense of "unburden."
- I need to get this off my chest: I was the one who broke the vase.
Verb
-
take the burden off; remove the burden from
-
unburden the donkey
-
-
free or relieve (someone) of a burden
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