burden

1 of 3

noun (1)

bur·​den ˈbər-dᵊn How to pronounce burden (audio)
1
a
: something that is carried : load
dropped his burden of firewood
b
: duty, responsibility
forced to bear the burden of caring for her aging parents
lowering the tax burden on the middle class
2
: something oppressive or worrisome
a heavy burden of guilt
was a huge financial burden on his family
3
a
: the bearing of a load
usually used in the phrase beast of burden
b
: capacity for carrying cargo
a ship of a hundred tons burden
4
: load sense 11
worm burdens of cattle
cancer burden

burden

2 of 3

verb

burdened; burdening ˈbərd-niŋ How to pronounce burden (audio)
ˈbər-dᵊn-iŋ

transitive verb

: load, oppress
I will not burden you with a lengthy account.

burden

3 of 3

noun (2)

1
a
: a central topic : theme
the burden of the argument
2
archaic : a bass or accompanying part
I would sing my song without a burden; thou bringest me out of tuneShakespeare

Examples of burden in a Sentence

Noun (1) the early settlers often used horses to carry their burdens the burden of homework prevented the youngster from joining his friends at the game Verb I don't wish to burden you with my problems. burdened the dog with a little backpack Noun (2) had some trouble coming up with a burden for the song
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In addition, the Democratic presidential candidate has spoken of tackling medical debt by building on existing federal efforts to assist some of the 100 million people struggling with this financial burden. Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes, 19 Oct. 2024 Getty Images Just because the Federal Reserve is nearing its inflation goal doesn’t mean the problem is solved, as the high price of goods and services across the U.S. economy continues to pose a burden for individuals, businesses and policymakers. Jeff Cox, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2024
Verb
In a study from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, nearly half of cancer patients and survivors reported being extraordinarily burdened by medical debt. Karen Knudsen, American Cancer Society Ceo, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2024 Babin is chair of the space and aeronautics subcommittee and has conducted CHIPS and Science Act oversight hearings where he's warned against burdening local governments and industry partners with cumbersome regulations and paperwork. Maria Curi, Axios, 10 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for burden 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'burden.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1) and Verb

Middle English, from Old English byrthen; akin to Old English beran to carry — more at bear

Noun (2)

Middle English burdoun, from Anglo-French burdun a drone bass, of imitative origin

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1541, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of burden was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near burden

Cite this Entry

“Burden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burden. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

burden

1 of 2 noun
bur·​den ˈbərd-ᵊn How to pronounce burden (audio)
1
a
: something carried : load
b
: something taken as a duty or responsibility
tax burdens
2
: something hard to take
a burden of sorrow
3
a
: the carrying of loads
beast of burden
b
: capacity for carrying cargo
a ship of 100 tons burden
burden verb

burden

2 of 2 noun
1
: the refrain or chorus of a song
2
: a main idea : gist
Etymology

Noun

Old English byrthen "load, burden"

Noun

an altered form of earlier bourdon "a refrain or chorus of a song," from Middle English burdoun (same meaning), from early French burdun "bass horn"

Medical Definition

burden

noun
bur·​den ˈbərd-ᵊn How to pronounce burden (audio)
: load sense 3
worm burden
cancer burden

Legal Definition

burden

noun
bur·​den
1
: something that is a duty, obligation, or responsibility
the prosecution has the burden of proving every element of the offense
the statute imposes undue burdens
burden of pleading the necessary elements
2

More from Merriam-Webster on burden

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