Standard Lemma guide

burdensome

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈbɜː.dən.səm/
  • Canada, General-American: /ˈbɝ.dən.səm/
  • Australian: /ˈbɜː.dən.səm/
  • Australian: [ˈbɜː.ɾən.səm]
  • Queensland Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • New-Zealand: /ˈbøː.dən.səm/
  • CMU ARPABET: B ER1 D AH0 N S AH0 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Characteristic of a burden; arduous or demanding

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

not easily borne; wearing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the burdensome task of preparing the income tax return
  • my duties weren't onerous; I only had to greet the guests
  • a taxing schedule

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: onerous, taxing

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From burden + -some.

Across languages

Translations

51 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: тежък (težǎk) — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Bulgarian: труден (truden) — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Bulgarian: обременяващ (obremenjavašt) — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Catalan: gravós — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Estonian: koormav — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Finnish: raskas — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Finnish: rasittava — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Finnish: vaivalloinen — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Finnish: hikinen — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Finnish: rankka — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • French: pénible — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • French: ardu — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • French: pesant — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • French: fastidieux — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • French: écrasant — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • French: chiant — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • French: casse-cul — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • French: prise de tête — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • French: emmerdant — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • German: beschwerlich — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • German: belastend — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Gothic: 𐌺𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌿𐍃 (kaurus) — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Ancient Greek: ἀχθεινός (akhtheinós) — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Hawaiian: hoʻokua — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Hindi: बोझिल (bojhil) — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Irish: tuirsiúil — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Irish: tónáisteach — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Italian: gravoso — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Italian: oneroso — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Italian: ostico — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Latin: onerōsus — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Middle English: hevysum — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Norwegian Bokmål: byrdefull — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: børefull — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: byrdefull — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Polish: uciążliwy — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Portuguese: exigente — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Russian: обременительный (obremenitelʹnyj) — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Russian: тягостный (tjagostnyj) — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Russian: тяжёлый (tjažólyj) — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Russian: тя́жкий (tjážkij) — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Spanish: pesado — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Spanish: penoso — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Spanish: fastidioso — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Spanish: puñeta — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Spanish: dispendioso — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Spanish: cargoso — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Spanish: gravoso — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Ukrainian: обтя́жливий (obtjážlyvyj) — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Welsh: beichus — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
  • Welsh: llethol — of or like a burden; arduous or demanding
Real reading context

burdensome in complete knowledge articles