verb
Meaning 1
To load down something with a burden.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
encumber
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.
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/ɪnˈkʌmbə(ɹ)/
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/ɛnˈkʌmbə(ɹ)/
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rhymes with -ʌmbə(ɹ)
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: EH0 N K AH1 M B ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
verb
Meaning 2
To restrict or block something with a hindrance or impediment.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
To burden with a legal claim or other obligation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 4
hold back
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: restrain, cumber, constrain
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: restrict, restrain, trammel, limit, bound, confine, throttle
Narrower terms: bridle, curb, clog
History
Etymology
From Middle English encombren, from Old French encombrer, from en- + combrer (“to hinder”) (See cumber). By surface analysis, en- + cumber.
Across languages
Translations
40 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Azerbaijani: yükləmək — to load down
- Bulgarian: обременявам (obremenjavam) — to load down
- Czech: zatížit — to load down
- Czech: obtížit — to load down
- Czech: ověsit — to load down
- Finnish: kuormittaa — to load down
- Galician: lastrar — to load down
- German: belasten — to load down
- German: aufbürden — to load down
- Greek: επιβαρύνω (epivarýno) — to load down
- Italian: caricare — to load down
- Italian: incombere — to load down
- Māori: whakawherū — to load down
- Māori: whakarorerore — to load down
- Portuguese: sobrecarregar — to load down
- Russian: обременя́ть (obremenjátʹ) — to load down
- Russian: отягоща́ть (otjagoščátʹ) — to load down
- Bulgarian: затруднявам (zatrudnjavam) — to restrict
- Bulgarian: ограничавам (ograničavam) — to restrict
- Finnish: haitata — to restrict
- Finnish: estää — to restrict
- Galician: obstaculizar — to restrict
- German: behindern — to restrict
- German: belasten — to restrict
- Irish: cuir isteach ar — to restrict
- Italian: intralciare — to restrict
- Italian: ingombrare — to restrict
- Italian: ostacolare — to restrict
- Māori: whakawherū — to restrict
- Māori: whakarorerore — to restrict
- Portuguese: atrapalhar — to restrict
- Romanian: încurca — to restrict
- Russian: загроможда́ть (zagromoždátʹ) — to restrict
- Russian: стесня́ть (stesnjátʹ) — to restrict
- Finnish: haitata — to burden with a legal claim
- German: belasten — to burden with a legal claim
- Greek: επιβαρύνω (epivarýno) — to burden with a legal claim
- Italian: caricare con ipoteca — to burden with a legal claim
- Italian: gravare di ipoteca — to burden with a legal claim
- Russian: обременя́ть (obremenjátʹ) — to burden with a legal claim