Definition of onerous
1 : involving, imposing, or constituting a burden : troublesome an onerous task onerous regulations an onerous mortgage
2 : having legal obligations that outweigh the advantages an onerous contract
onerously
adverbonerousness
nounExplore Merriam-Webster
Examples of onerous in a Sentence
Then everyone was asked, how fairly did you act?, from “extremely unfairly” (1) to “extremely fairly” (7). Next they watched someone else make the assignments, and judged that person's ethics. Selflessness was a virtual no-show: 87 out of 94 people opted for the easy task and gave the next guy the onerous one. —Sharon Begley, Newsweek, 23 June 2008
The first hitch occurred when the state education department took a full six months after the new law was adopted to issue 12 pages of onerous rules and regulations governing Arkansas charter schools. —Wendy Cole, Time, 10 June 2000
Environmentalism poses stark issues of survival, for humankind and for all those other tribes of creatures over which we have exercised our onerous dominion. —Marilynne Robinson, The Death of Adam, 1998
Rap tested well, but early on the promoters said they wouldn't be booking any gangsta rap, a move at least partly designed to calm security concerns during the onerous process of complying with the strict mass-gathering laws enacted in the wake of the 1969 festival. —John Milward, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 1994
The government imposed onerous taxes on imports.
had the onerous and stressful job of notifying the families of soldiers killed in action
Recent Examples of onerous from the Web
-
Of the three countries, the U.S. stands alone in its rejection of the deal as too onerous.
-
The peace accords of 1947 meant ceding about a 10th of its land to the east and paying onerous war reparations by delivering costly industrial goods to its neighbor in the east.
-
Critics of the accord say the limits on emissions place an onerous and disproportionate burden on American businesses (although other business leaders disagree).
-
Coming off historic electoral gains, the GOP legislators scrapped much of the law while pledging to make health insurance affordable and to free state residents from onerous government mandates.
-
Goto, who now opposes nuclear power, likens reactors to bedridden patients, who must be cared for and eventually properly buried, an onerous, decades or possibly centuries-long task for the industry.
-
Efforts to unwind some of the deal's more onerous regulations are welcomed, but that is not enough.
-
Rauner isn't new to campaigning on the issue of onerous property taxation, first proposing a freeze and running ads about it during his bid for governor in 2014.
-
For one thing, proposed new licensing requirements figure to be onerous for small operations, and posting encryption programs (like PGP) or secure Web browsers (like Navigator or IE) where foreigners can download them will probably remain a felony.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'onerous'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
What is the Difference Between Onerous, Burdensome, Oppressive?
Onerous, which traces back to the Latin onus, meaning "burden," has several synonyms. Like "onerous," "burdensome," "oppressive," and "exacting" all refer to something which imposes a hardship of some kind. "Onerous" stresses a sense of laboriousness and heaviness, especially because something is distasteful ("the onerous task of cleaning up the mess"). "Burdensome" suggests something which causes mental as well as physical strain ("the burdensome responsibilities of being a supervisor"). "Oppressive" implies extreme harshness or severity in what is imposed ("the oppressive tyranny of a police state"). "Exacting" suggests rigor or sternness rather than tyranny or injustice in the demands made or in the one demanding ("an exacting employer who requires great attention to detail").
Origin and Etymology of onerous
Middle English, from Middle French honereus, from Latin onerosus, from oner-, onus burden; akin to Sanskrit anas cart
Synonym Discussion of onerous
ONEROUS Defined for English Language Learners
onerous
playDefinition of onerous for English Language Learners
-
: difficult and unpleasant to do or deal with
ONEROUS Defined for Kids
onerous
playDefinition of onerous for Students
: being difficult and unpleasant to do or to deal with “… do you never find your duties onerous or irksome?” — E. B. White, The Trumpet of the Swan
Law Dictionary
onerous
playLegal Definition of onerous
1 : excessively burdensome or costly
2 : involving a return benefit, compensation, or consideration an onerous donation —used chiefly in the civil law of Louisiana — see also onerous contract at contract — compare gratuitous
Learn More about onerous
-
See words that rhyme with onerous Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for onerous Spanish Central: Translation of onerous Nglish: Translation of onerous for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of onerous for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up onerous? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!