burdensome

adjective

bur·​den·​some ˈbər-dᵊn-səm 

: imposing or constituting a burden : oppressive

burdensome restrictions

Synonyms

• bitter
• brutal
• cruel
• excruciating
• grievous
• grim
• hard
• hardhanded
• harsh
• heavy
• inhuman
• murderous
• onerous
• oppressive
• rough
• rugged
• searing
• severe
• stiff
• tough
• trying

Choose the Right Synonym for burdensome

onerous, burdensome, oppressive, exacting mean imposing hardship.

onerous stresses being laborious and heavy especially because distasteful.

the onerous task of cleaning up the mess

burdensome suggests causing mental as well as physical strain.

burdensome responsibilities

oppressive implies extreme harshness or severity in what is imposed.

the oppressive tyranny of a police state

exacting implies rigor or sternness rather than tyranny or injustice in the demands made or in the one demanding.

an exacting employer

Examples of burdensome in a Sentence

The responsibility has become burdensome.

the burdensome living conditions that the early settlers had to endure

Recent Examples on the Web

The gender pay gap compounds the racial pay gap, creating a double-bind that makes student debt particularly burdensome. —Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 7 May 2025

For low-income families, the smartphone price hikes could hit the hardest, the CTA warned, which would be especially burdensome since imports triggering price drops only recently were credited with making smartphones more accessible in the US. —Ashley Belanger – May 7, ArsTechnica, 7 May 2025

Hollywood filmmakers and California lawmakers have continued to wrestle with new forms of tax incentives to make film production less burdensome, not more. —Howard Homonoff, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025

But stocks made a steady comeback in the past month as investors assumed the tariff picture would only grow clearer and less burdensome in the future. —Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 5 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

burdensome

adjective

bur·​den·​some ˈbərd-ᵊn-səm 

: so heavy or hard to take as to be a burden

burdensomeness noun