Definition of burden - Reverso English Dictionary
Noun
1.
heavy responsibilityresponsibility or duty that causes worry or hardship
- The burden of leadership weighed heavily on her shoulders..
2.
physical loadheavy load that is difficult to carry
- He struggled under the burden of the heavy backpack..
3.
central themeUK main theme or gist of a speech, book, or argumentUK
- The burden of his speech was the need for political reform..
4.
medicalTECH. total amount of toxins or similar in an organismTECH.
- The doctor assessed the patient's viral burden.
Verb
1.
loadplace a heavy load on someone or something
- They burden the truck with too much cargo.
2.
responsibilityimpose a responsibility or task on someone
- The manager burdened her with extra duties.
3.
worrycause someone to feel worried or oppressed
- He burdened her with his personal problems.
Images of burden
heavy load that is difficult to carry
Expressions with burden
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deal with something very difficult or emotionally painful
She carries a heavy burden after the accident.
animal used for carrying heavy loads
The donkey is a common beast of burden.
bear the responsibility or weight of something
She had to carry the burden of managing the entire project alone.
make someone's problems or responsibilities less difficult
She tried to ease his burden by listening to him.
carry a heavy load or duty
He shouldered the burden of caring for his sick parents.
struggle to carry a heavy load
He staggered under the burden of the heavy boxes.
cause someone extra difficulty or responsibility
I don't want to be a burden on my family.
cause someone extra difficulty or responsibility
I don't want to be a burden to my family.
heavy feeling of responsibility for wrongdoing
He carried the burden of guilt for years after the accident.
stress or difficulty caused by owing money
Her debt burden left her feeling overwhelmed and anxious..
make a difficult situation or feeling less hard to handle
She tried to ease the burden by sharing the work.
difficult responsibility or duty
Caring for his sick mother was a heavy burden.
make a difficult situation easier to handle
Her support helped lighten the burden during tough times.
financial strain caused by taxes
The new policy aims to reduce the tax burden on low-income families.
responsibility of looking after someone
The burden of care for her elderly parents was overwhelming.
responsibility of handling two major tasks at once
The manager's double burden includes overseeing operations and training staff.
obligation to provide evidence for a claim
In debates, the burden of proof is on the claimant.
economic cost from market inefficiency or taxation
The excess burden of the tax reduced overall welfare.
idea that Westerners must civilize and rule other peoples
The poem promoted the white man's burden as a noble duty.
Origin of burden
Old English, byrthen (load)
Terms with burden included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
support others
alleviate the burden of someone else
carried weight
weight or burden that is carried
burden sharing
share the burden or cost with someone
ease effort
reduce the burden or difficulty
physical weight
carrying a heavy physical burden or load
emotional burden
cause someone to feel burdened or overwhelmed
physical burden
be heavy and burdensome
emotional burden
overwhelmed by responsibilities or worries
figurative burden
worry or concern to be endured
responsibility
place a burden or duty on someone
responsibility
impose or apply as a burden
work
burden someone with responsibilities
load with duty
burden someone with a responsibility
burden
burdensome demand or strain
dual nature
something that is both a benefit and a burden at the same time
emotional burden
past experiences or long-held ideas regarded as burdensome
burden responsibility
given an unwanted responsibility or problem
responsibility
endure a difficult responsibility or burden
responsibility
to bear a burden or responsibility
burden
be burdened by an extra load or responsibility
personal burden
difficult burden or responsibility someone must deal with
burden
something unnecessary or burdensome, often unwanted
stress
experience the burden or pressure of something
burden
be burdened by a responsibility or problem
Examples of burden in a sentence
Caring for his sick mother was a heavy burden. The mule carried the burden up the steep hill. She felt the burden of the heavy groceries. The burden of the novel is the struggle for freedom. The burden of his argument was the importance of education. Researchers are studying the chemical burden in marine life.
The patient's toxin burden was higher than expected. Don't burden yourself with unnecessary worries. She didn't want to burden her friends with her problems. He didn't want to burden his friends with his problems. The new policy burdened employees with additional paperwork. The news burdened him with anxiety.
View all translations of burden
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:fardeau, charger, ...
- German:Bürde, beladen, ...
- Italian:peso, caricare, ...
- Spanish:carga, cargar, ...
- Portuguese:fardo, sobrecarregar, ...
- Chinese:责任, 加重, ...
- Japanese:責任, 載せる, ...
- Arabic:عِبْء, أَثْقَلَ, ...
- Hebrew:נֵטֶל, לְהַעֲמִיס, ...
- Russian:ответственность, перегружать, ...
- Ukrainian:відповідальність, навантажувати, ...
- Hindi:बोझ, लादना, ...
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