cumbersome

1 of 2

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

cumbersomeness

2 of 2

noun

cum·​ber·​some·​ness

ˈkəm-bər-səm-nəs

plural -es

: the quality or state of being cumbersome

Synonyms of cumbersome

Adjective

• clumsy
• awkward
• unwieldy
• clunky

Choose the Right Synonym for cumbersome

heavy, weighty, ponderous, cumbrous, cumbersome mean having great weight.

heavy implies that something has greater density or thickness than the average of its kind or class.

a heavy child for his age

weighty suggests having actual and not just relative weight.

a load of weighty boxes

ponderous implies having great weight because of size and massiveness with resulting great inertia.

ponderous elephants in a circus parade

cumbrous and cumbersome imply heaviness and bulkiness that make for difficulty in grasping, moving, carrying, or manipulating.

wrestled with the cumbrous furniture

early cameras were cumbersome and inconvenient

Examples of cumbersome in a Sentence

Adjective

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

But connecting freight brokers and carriers is cumbersome, despite efforts by Uber Freight and others to use tech solutions to streamline things. — Richard Nieva, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

Then there’s the reality that Imax film cameras are loud and cumbersome. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 28 July 2026

Fedorov saw that system as far too cumbersome and prone to corruption. — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026

The City of Yes plan swept aside cumbersome zoning rules and made office buildings completed as recently as 1990 eligible for conversion in most of Manhattan and parts of other boroughs. — Andrew Rice, Curbed, 23 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see cumber entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Kids Definition

cumbersome

adjective

cum·​ber·​some ˈkəm-bər-səm 

: hard to handle or manage because of size or weight

cumbersomely adverb

cumbersomeness noun