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Synonyms

burden

1 American  
[bur-dn] / ˈbɜr dn /

noun

  1. that which is carried; load.

    a horse's burden of rider and pack.

  2. that which is borne with difficulty; obligation; onus.

    the burden of leadership.
    Synonyms:
    impediment, encumbrance, weight

  3. Nautical.

    1. the weight of a ship's cargo.

    2. the carrying capacity of a ship.

  4. Mining. overburden.

  5. Metallurgy. the minerals charged into a blast furnace or steelmaking furnace.

  6. Accounting. overhead.

verb (used with object)

  1. to load heavily.

  2. to load oppressively; trouble.

    Synonyms:
    vex, grieve, plague, perturb, afflict, try, saddle, weigh down
burden 2 American  
[bur-dn] / ˈbɜr dn /

noun

  1. the main point, message, or idea.

    Synonyms:
    essence, nucleus, crux, core, substance, gist

  2. Music. the refrain or recurring chorus of a song.

burden 1 British  
/ ˈbɜːdən /

noun

  1. something that is carried; load

  2. something that is exacting, oppressive, or difficult to bear

    the burden of responsibility

  3. nautical

    1. the cargo capacity of a ship

    2. the weight of a ship's cargo

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (sometimes foll by up) to put or impose a burden on; load

  2. to weigh down; oppress

    the old woman was burdened with cares
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
burden 2 British  
/ ˈbɜːdən /

noun

  1. a line of words recurring at the end of each verse of a ballad or similar song; chorus or refrain

  2. the principal or recurrent theme of a speech, book, etc

  3. another word for bourdon

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See load.

Other Word Forms

  • burdener noun
  • burdenless adjective

Etymology

Origin of burden1

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, birthen, birden, Old English byrthen; akin to German Bürde, Gothic baurthei; bear 1

Origin of burden2

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English bordoun, burdoun “drone, bass,” from Old French bourdon “droning sound, instrument making such a sound”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The burden of funding schools, transit, parks and public safety shifts to those who remain.

From The Wall Street Journal

Although older women are still projected to carry the greatest burden of cardiovascular disease, younger women are experiencing notable increases.

From Science Daily

"Retaining the flow of used petrol and diesel vehicles into the island will help enable a more just transition for islanders, ensuring the burden of change does not unnecessarily impact on those worst off".

From BBC

Without the capital to fund legal action or the influence to lobby for changes, we are left to manage these burdens on our own.

From The Wall Street Journal

She didn’t want to be a financial burden on her sister Kate, yet had to stay away from the séance table.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.