Standard Lemma guide

unburden

verb · 3 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: /ʌnˈbɜːdn̩/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ʌnˈbɝdn̩/
  • Scotland: /ʌnˈbʌɾdn̩/
  • Australian: /ɐnˈbɜːdn̩/
  • New-Zealand: /ɐnˈbøːdn̩/
  • Northern-England: /ʊnˈbɜːdn̩/
  • /ʊnˈbeːdn̩/ Liverpool, fair–fur merger
  • /ʊnˈbɛːdn̩/ Humberside, Teesside, fair–fur merger
  • rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)dən
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 N B ER1 D AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To free from burden, or relieve from trouble.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

take the burden off; remove the burden from

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • unburden the donkey

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disburden

Antonyms: burden

Broader terms: remove, take, take away, withdraw

Narrower terms: lighten

3

verb

Meaning 3

free or relieve (someone) of a burden

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: take

History

Etymology

From un- + burden.

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: облекчавам (oblekčavam) — disburden
  • Chinese Mandarin: 解脱 (jiětuō) — disburden
  • Chinese Mandarin: 解放 (jiěfàng) — disburden
  • Danish: aflaste — disburden
  • Polish: odciążać — disburden
  • Polish: odciążyć — disburden
  • Swedish: avlasta — disburden