burdensome

adjective

bur·​den·​some ˈbər-dᵊn-səm 

: imposing or constituting a burden : oppressive

burdensome restrictions

Synonyms of burdensome

• oppressive
• harsh
• tough
• searing
• hard
• severe
• brutal
• rough
• onerous
• cruel

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

Project Iceworm’s legacy Project Iceworm was shelved in 1962, after it was deemed too technically difficult — the ice sheet shifts — and as the Navy and Air Force pursued less burdensome projects on Greenland. —Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026

Connecticut still bears some of the highest taxes and most burdensome regulations in the nation. —Carol Platt Liebau, Hartford Courant, 5 Feb. 2026

But the requirements are still burdensome, Ravin said. —Suzanne King, Kansas City Star, 4 Feb. 2026

The study's lead researcher, Flavia Chereches of Tilburg University in the Netherlands, suggested that the environment matters, noting that voluntary care in a supportive family is different from a stressful or burdensome environment. —Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 3 Feb. 2026

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