cumbersome
adjective
cum·ber·some
ˈkəm-bər-səm 
1
: unwieldy because of heaviness and bulk
a cumbersome package
2
: slow-moving : ponderous
cumbersome administrative procedures
3
dialect
: burdensome, troublesome
cumbersomely
adverb
cumbersomeness
noun
Examples of cumbersome in a Sentence
Squad members, already decked out in cumbersome chemical suits, put on masks and rubber gloves.
—
Ray Wilkinson, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 1991
He got the approval of the higher-ups, but the course was scuttled by members of his own department, who devised all kinds of cumbersome, silly requirements and prerequisites.
—Alice Munro, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 1989
He cut some segments of the 2" pine but discovered that … a cumbersome system of braces would be needed to hold the sides straight.
—John Updike, Couples, 1968
The application process is cumbersome and time-consuming.
Her expanded job title is really cumbersome.
Ray Wilkinson, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 1991
He got the approval of the higher-ups, but the course was scuttled by members of his own department, who devised all kinds of cumbersome, silly requirements and prerequisites.
—Alice Munro, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 1989
He cut some segments of the 2" pine but discovered that … a cumbersome system of braces would be needed to hold the sides straight.
—John Updike, Couples, 1968
The application process is cumbersome and time-consuming.
Her expanded job title is really cumbersome.
Recent Examples on the Web
Second, immigrant families could obtain relief through class-action lawsuits, although filing class actions in federal court can be a lengthy and cumbersome process.
—Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2025
Their effects will be modulated by how cumbersome or efficient work-verification systems are, by the availability of insurance-eligibility workers, and by community outreach or lack thereof.
—Lindsay Ryan, The Atlantic, 5 July 2025
Some of the costs are offset by $1.2 trillion in cutbacks to food stamps and especially Medicaid, largely by imposing new cumbersome work requirements, including for some parents and older people.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 3 July 2025
The majority holds that, absent cumbersome class-action litigation, courts cannot completely enjoin even such plainly unlawful policies unless doing so is necessary to afford the formal parties complete relief.
—Erwin Chemerinsky, Mercury News, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cumbersome
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Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2025
Their effects will be modulated by how cumbersome or efficient work-verification systems are, by the availability of insurance-eligibility workers, and by community outreach or lack thereof.
—Lindsay Ryan, The Atlantic, 5 July 2025
Some of the costs are offset by $1.2 trillion in cutbacks to food stamps and especially Medicaid, largely by imposing new cumbersome work requirements, including for some parents and older people.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 3 July 2025
The majority holds that, absent cumbersome class-action litigation, courts cannot completely enjoin even such plainly unlawful policies unless doing so is necessary to afford the formal parties complete relief.
—Erwin Chemerinsky, Mercury News, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cumbersome
Cite this Entry
“Cumbersome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cumbersome. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cumbersome
adjective
cum·ber·some
ˈkəm-bər-səm
: hard to handle or manage because of size or weight
cumbersomely
adverb
cumbersomeness
noun
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