onerous

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adjective oner·ous \ ˈä-nə-rəs , ˈō- \

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

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onerously

adverb

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onerousness

noun

See onerous defined for English-language learners

See onerous defined for kids

onerous was our Word of the Day on 07/12/2017. Hear the podcast!

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

Congress’ failure to address the Postal Service’s underlying financial woes, such as onerous requirements to pre-fund retiree health benefits, has left the commission more likely to embrace the request for more pricing freedom.

— hope yen, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Postal Service may get more freedom to raise stamp prices," 9 Aug. 2017
If those numbers seem onerous, digest this: United flew 31 percent fewer people than American, but made 27 percent more in ancillary revenue.

— ryan craggs, CNT, "This Airline Charges the Most in Extra Fees," 21 July 2017
In isolation, a policy like this would raise many billions of dollars, which, if spent correctly, would help weaken the onerous link between employment and health insurance.

— brian beutler, New Republic, "Democrats, Not Republicans, Stand for “Freedom” in Health Care," 20 July 2017
During the 1970s, our freight-rail industry struggled under the weight of onerous regulations that limited the ability of railroads to effectively manage their own operations.

— jason pye, National Review, "Deregulation Is the Key to a Successful Infrastructure Policy," 20 July 2017
What’s the point of making all these onerous rules and regulations if the companies that get the exclusive cannabis permits never plan to follow them anyway?

— chris goldstein, Philly.com, "Medical cannabis grower with Pa. permit faces investigations in other states," 13 July 2017
The FCC did not impose the most onerous Title II restrictions on ISPs.

— jon brodkin, Ars Technica, "If FCC gets its way, we’ll lose a lot more than net neutrality," 12 July 2017
Republicans have traditionally opposed them as being onerous for business or expensive for government.

— claire cain miller, The Seattle Times, "Family-friendly laws are being passed, but not by Trump’s team," 7 July 2017
Republicans and other ACA critics have argued the taxes are onerous on businesses and families.

— julie appleby, The Seattle Times, "Tax breaks promised in GOP health plans go mostly to top 1 percent," 5 July 2017

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

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First Known Use: 14th century

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onerous Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

easy, light, soft

Near Antonyms

comfortable, cozy, luxurious, snug; agreeable, friendly, genial, hospitable, pleasant; peaceful, relaxing, reposeful, restful; bearable, endurable, painless, tolerable; balmy, calm, clement, gentle, mild, moderate, temperate

Synonym Discussion of onerous

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

ONEROUS Defined for English Language Learners

onerous

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adjective

Definition of onerous for English Language Learners

: difficult and unpleasant to do or deal with

ONEROUS Defined for Kids

onerous

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adjective oner·ous \ ˈä-nə-rəs , ˈō- \

Definition 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

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adjective oner·ous \ ˈä-nə-rəs, ˈō- \

legal 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

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onerous was our Word of the Day on 07/12/2017. Hear the podcast!

Examples of onerous in a Sentence

Recent Examples of onerous from the Web

What is the Difference Between onerous, burdensome, oppressive?

Origin and Etymology of onerous

onerous Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of onerous

ONEROUS Defined for English Language Learners

onerous

Definition of onerous for English Language Learners

ONEROUS Defined for Kids

onerous

Definition of onerous for Students

Law Dictionary

onerous

legal Definition of onerous

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