Synonyms for burden
ˈbɜr dnbur·den

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:5.0 / 2 votes

1. burdennoun

   A burden (from the Anglo-Saxon byrthen, from the verb beran, bear) is what one has to bear, and the word is used always of that which is borne by a living agent. A load (from the Anglo-Saxon lād, a way, course, carrying, or carriage) is what is laid upon a person, animal, or vehicle for conveyance, or what is customarily so imposed; as, a two-horse load. Weight measures the pressure due to gravity; the same weight that one finds a moderate load when in his full strength becomes a heavy burden in weariness or weakness. A ship's load is called distinctively a cargo, or it may be known as freight or lading. Freight denotes merchandise in or for transportation and is used largely of transportation or of merchandise transported by rail, which is, in commercial language, said to be "shipped." A load to be fastened upon a horse or mule is called a pack, and the animal is known as a pack-horse or pack-mule.

   Synonyms:
   cargo, charge, clog, encumbrance, freight, incubus, lading, load, pack, weight

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:4.5 / 2 votes

1. burdennoun

   Synonyms:
   load, weight, incubus, obstruction, oppression, grief, difficulty, affliction

   Antonyms:
   ease, lightness, airiness, expedition, facility, acceleration, abjugation, liberation, lightheartedness, alleviation, assuagement, mitigation, consolation, disburdenment

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:3.0 / 2 votes

1. burden, load, encumbrance, incumbrance, onusnoun

   an onerous or difficult concern

   "the burden of responsibility"; "that's a load off my mind"

   Synonyms:
   preventive, lading, incumbrance, preventative, interference, payload, core, consignment, freight, lode, hitch, onus, gist, effect, loading, hinderance, cargo, essence, encumbrance, load, shipment, hindrance, warhead

   Antonyms:
   disburden, unburden

2. load, loading, burdennoun

   weight to be borne or conveyed

   Synonyms:
   lading, incumbrance, payload, core, consignment, freight, lode, onus, gist, effect, loading, cargo, essence, encumbrance, load, shipment, warhead

   Antonyms:
   disburden, unburden

3. effect, essence, burden, core, gistnoun

   the central meaning or theme of a speech or literary work

   Synonyms:
   substance, loading, perfume, meat, centre, center, consequence, core, marrow, load, sum, impression, event, heart and soul, core group, upshot, effect, nub, kernel, nitty-gritty, gist, inwardness, pith, heart, nucleus, onus, essence, magnetic core, outcome, encumbrance, issue, force, incumbrance, result

   Antonyms:
   unburden, disburden

4. burdenverb

   the central idea that is expanded in a document or discourse

   Synonyms:
   incumbrance, effect, onus, loading, essence, encumbrance, gist, core, load

   Antonyms:
   disburden, unburden

5. burden, burthen, weight, weight downverb

   weight down with a load

   Synonyms:
   slant, saddle, weight, weight down, burthen, angle, charge

   Antonyms:
   unburden, disburden

6. charge, saddle, burdenverb

   impose a task upon, assign a responsibility to

   "He charged her with cleaning up all the files over the weekend"

   Synonyms:
   saddle, institutionalize, buck, shoot down, commove, turn on, shoot, appoint, institutionalise, agitate, rouse, charge, consign, accuse, point, file, bill, tear, level, burthen, blame, load, bear down, commit, weight, charge up, excite, lodge, weight down, send

   Antonyms:
   disburden, unburden

Matched Categories

1. • Meaning

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. burdennoun

   Synonyms:
   load, weight

2. burdennoun

   Synonyms:
   cargo, freight, lading

3. burdennoun

   Synonyms:
   incumbrance, clog, impediment, incubus, drag weight, dead weight

4. burdennoun

   Synonyms:
   chorus, refrain

5. burdenverb

   Synonyms:
   load, overload, overlay, oppress, surcharge, put a burden upon

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. burdennoun

   Synonyms:
   load, cargo, incubus, encumbrance, weight, impediment, trial, oppression, chorus, refrain

2. burdenverb

   Synonyms:
   encumber, load, surcharge, oppress

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "burden":

   load, onus, loading, burdens, charge, upload, weight, loads, cargo, uploading, instructs, workload, brunt, overhang, loaded, expense, payload, afford, pressure, borne, burden-sharing, charging, strain, tape, responsibility

How to pronounce burden?

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How to use burden in a sentence?

1. Don Waisanen:

   One of the ways these speeches have functioned historically is that you can talk about things without talking about them. Humor gives you the ability to shift the burden to the audience to come up with the joke.

2. David Plunkett:

   You really don't want to be doing drugs when taking your milk, i don't think it's too big a burden to periodically test and make sure farmers know that someone is looking over their shoulders.

3. Valter Longo:

   The human fasting mimicking diet (FMD) program is a plant based diet program designed to attain fasting-like effects while providing micronutrient nourishment (vitamins, minerals, etc.) and minimize the burden of fasting.

4. Antony Blinken:

   We've seen the consequences when international infrastructure deals are corrupt and coercive, when they're poorly built or environmentally destructive, when they import or abuse workers, or burden countries with crushing debts.

5. Joseph Foster:

   They've set out a plan and we're seeing them execute on it, the biggest nut to crack is the debt burden, and they are whittling away at it. It is all a positive direction.