cumbersome

adjective cum·ber·some \ ˈkəm-bər-səm \

|Updated on: 13 Jun 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: cumbersome in a Sentence

Definition of cumbersome

1 : unwieldy because of heaviness and bulk

a cumbersome package

2 : slow-moving : ponderous

cumbersome administrative procedures

3 dialect : burdensome, troublesome

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cumbersomely

adverb

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cumbersomeness

noun

See cumbersome defined for English-language learners

See cumbersome defined for kids

Examples of cumbersome in a Sentence

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 of cumbersome from the Web

Back in the old days, galvanic machines were extremely cumbersome and posed the risk for galvanic burn if not properly used.

— sophie wirt, Allure, "Exclusive: Celebrity Facialist Georgia Louise Launches At-Home Galvanic Current Device," 7 June 2018
Canada and Mexico have opposed the idea of separate treaties as cumbersome and an unnecessary complication of a pact that many North American businesses rely on for sales and production.

— ana swanson and jim tankersley, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump signals he wants separate trade deals with Canada and Mexico," 6 June 2018
The industry has complained that both regulations are too cumbersome and time-consuming.

— washington post, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump signs law rolling back post-financial crisis banking rules," 24 May 2018
The industry has complained that both regulations are too cumbersome and time-consuming.

— erica werner, idahostatesman, "Trump signs law rolling back banking rules, an effort led by Idaho's Sen. Crapo | Idaho Statesman," 24 May 2018
The federal government has allowed delays, bowing to objections from some that the measure is too cumbersome and costly.

— jenny deam, Houston Chronicle, "No escape: A time of calorie reckoning," 9 May 2018
Even then, the tests are very expensive and cumbersome, involving brain scans and spinal taps.

— alison abbott, Scientific American, "Is "Friendly Fire" in the Brain Provoking Alzheimer's Disease?," 24 Apr. 2018
The downside The LS’s controls for features like smartphones, navigation and audio are cumbersome and frustrating.

— mark phelan, Detroit Free Press, "Review: 2018 LS 500 is a beauty -- with beastly infotainment controls," 11 Apr. 2018
Central planning was too cumbersome, too slow to respond to the body’s emergencies.

— naomi fry, The New Yorker, "The Mind-Expanding Ideas of Andy Clark," 26 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cumbersome.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cumbersome

see ¹cumber

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1535

in the meaning defined at sense 3

See Words from the same year

cumbersome Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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.