unburden

verb

un·​bur·​den ˌən-ˈbər-dᵊn 

unburdened; unburdening; unburdens

transitive verb

1

: to free or relieve from a burden

They tried to unburden her of her troubles.

2

: to relieve oneself of (cares, fears, worries, etc.) : cast off

When they asked what was bothering him, he welcomed the chance to unburden himself.

Synonyms of unburden

• unload

Examples of unburden in a Sentence

the crew was frantically unburdening the ship in an attempt to save it

a generous friend unburdened her of that particular financial worry

Recent Examples on the Web

But on Wednesday, Mendoza pitched herself as unburdened by political connections with a shot that appeared aimed at Johnson’s link to the Chicago Teachers Union and Giannoulias’ to wealthy political insiders. —Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 3 June 2026

Unlike so many other athletes who played a sport at the highest level for a long period of time, Nadal didn’t much seem to care to unburden his soul. —Corey Seymour, Vogue, 25 May 2026

Both Mitchell and the Cavs unburdened themselves of history. —Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 18 May 2026

The mill, unburdened by the extra hardware and competitive restrictions, is even more potent, generating as much as 720 hp. —Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 4 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing unburden

• unburden oneself

Rhymes for unburden

• burden
• overburden

Kids Definition

unburden

verb

un·​bur·​den ˌən-ˈbərd-ᵊn 

1

: to free or bring relief from a burden

2

: to free oneself from (as cares)