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burdensome

burdensome

18 7.1
Causing a lot of extra work or worry
  • adjective
  • /ˈbɜrdənˌsəm/
translation icon : oneroso
  • First, it would be unduly burdensome to require a court to apply the procedural law of another jurisdiction.
  • burdensome regulations
  • burdensome requirement
  • unduly burdensome

Simply by us removing the taxation, the burdensome taxation on our people.

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Examples

  • The use of current trade remedy laws is burdensome, costly, uncertain, and generative of friction.

    Academic text (1993)
  • People are likely to take a treatment that's less burdensome for them to take.

  • Your work will be less burdensome.

  • Certain obligations come with marriage, no matter how burdensome they may seem.

  • A measure clearly too burdensome to fulfill.

  • Although initially the students complained about the burdensome travel, at the end they found the experience "superb."

    Academic text (1997)
  • For one, the discovery process seemed to be very burdensome and an inefficient way to resolve disputes.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Much of their labor was heavy and burdensome, including collecting and hauling firewood and water.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Study participants cited the burdensome paperwork required for a clinical trial as a possible deterrent to adoption.

    Academic text (2008)
  • The new company policies were so burdensome that employees felt overwhelmed by their responsibilities.

Synonyms

difficult
vsburdensome
386 2.1

Hard to control or deal with, often not willing to help

stresses causing hardship rather than merely being uncooperative
heavy
vsburdensome
221 2.1

Hard to do or understand

focuses on causing worry or hardship rather than only intensity
daunting
vsburdensome
78 6.2

So hard to do that you feel too worried to try

describes actual difficulty and burden rather than fear or intimidation
inconvenient
vsburdensome
72 4.1

Something that causes trouble and makes things difficult

implies more serious difficulty or hardship than small trouble
troublesome
vsburdensome
49 3.9

Causing worry or annoyance and hard to deal with

involves more serious difficulty or hardship rather than minor annoyance
arduous
vsburdensome
29 7.7

Very difficult to do and needing a lot of effort over a long time

means causing difficulty but not always long or exhausting work
onerous
vsburdensome
  • Formal
24 8.1

Causes a lot of work or trouble

is a more general word for causing difficulty or hardship
cumbersome
vsburdensome
22 6.7

Large, heavy, and difficult to carry or use

applies to causing trouble or hardship rather than physical awkwardness
oppressive
vsburdensome
19 6.3

Heavy and uncomfortable, making people feel sad, worried, or tired

refers to causing difficulty or hardship, not mainly emotional weight
taxing
vsburdensome
5 6.8

Needing a lot of physical or mental effort

describes causing trouble or worry rather than only tiring effort
heavy-laden
vsburdensome
1 6.5

Weighed down by worry or responsibility

focuses on causing difficulty rather than emotional weight
overburdensome
vsburdensome
  • Specialized
7.8

Too difficult or expensive for someone to manage easily

is similar but less extreme in implied unmanageability

Antonyms

1.0

Not hard to do, understand, or achieve

57 3.2

Easy to deal with

How Burdensome

oppressive
43 6.3
onerous
  • Formal
24 8.1
burdensome
18 7.1
troublesome
49 3.9
easy
1.0

Surface Forms

burdensome positive

Morphology

burdensome = burden (transparent) = burden + some

The adjective is directly formed from the noun 'burden' with the productive suffix '-some' meaning 'causing or characterized by', so the meaning follows clearly.

Etymology

Burdensome comes from the word burden ('something you carry') plus the ending -some ('causing' or 'full of'). So a burdensome task or rule is like a heavy load you must carry, which makes it hard to do or causes worry.