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

But in adapting the namesake short story by Manuel Gonzales into a 10-hour season of television, creators Jennifer Ames and Steve Turner have saddled this core conflict with unnecessary and burdensome extensions. —Alison Herman, Variety, 9 Apr. 2026

Illinois State Rifle Association Executive Director Richard Pearson said legislation like this could create a burdensome and costly game of Whac-A-Mole where gun manufacturers need to continually tweak their designs to adapt to the behavior of criminals. —Jack O'Connor, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026

Hood and others see this as not just an attempt to right-size environmental rules that had become unnecessarily burdensome, but a massive chipping away at environmental safeguards that kept our public lands and waters relatively intact. —Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 8 Apr. 2026

In September, hemp businesses collected signatures to repeal the constitutional amendment that legalized recreational marijuana and replace it with regulations that are no more burdensome than regulations for alcohol and tobacco. —Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 6 Apr. 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