1
as in oppressive
difficult to endure
the burdensome living conditions that the early settlers had to endure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in challenging
requiring much time, effort, or careful attention
the burdensome task of finishing the tax return
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of burdensome
Health policy experts say the population of able bodied Americans on Medicaid who don’t work is fairly small — but that many more might lose their coverage because of the burdensome paperwork requirements that will come with regularly proving work status.
—
ABC News, 3 July 2025
Instead, Justice Clarence Thomas’ opinion established intermediate scrutiny, a middle ground that requires laws to serve important government interests without being overly burdensome, as the appropriate standard.
—Meg Leta Jones, The Conversation, 27 June 2025
But whether because of language barriers, physical or cognitive disability, lack of internet or phone, or job instability, for all of these patients, overcoming additional bureaucratic barriers would be burdensome at best.
—Lindsay Ryan, The Atlantic, 5 July 2025
Clarifying And Navigating Regulatory And Policy Uncertainty Changes in regulations and policies, from data privacy to labor laws, can be burdensome and resource-intensive for small businesses with limited access to dedicated legal teams.
—Ibrahim Jackson, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for burdensome
ABC News, 3 July 2025
Instead, Justice Clarence Thomas’ opinion established intermediate scrutiny, a middle ground that requires laws to serve important government interests without being overly burdensome, as the appropriate standard.
—Meg Leta Jones, The Conversation, 27 June 2025
But whether because of language barriers, physical or cognitive disability, lack of internet or phone, or job instability, for all of these patients, overcoming additional bureaucratic barriers would be burdensome at best.
—Lindsay Ryan, The Atlantic, 5 July 2025
Clarifying And Navigating Regulatory And Policy Uncertainty Changes in regulations and policies, from data privacy to labor laws, can be burdensome and resource-intensive for small businesses with limited access to dedicated legal teams.
—Ibrahim Jackson, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for burdensome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burdensome
Adjective
-
In many areas along and east of the Mississippi River, heat index values could soar to between 110 and 115 degrees — the kind of oppressive heat that can quickly turn dangerous without proper precautions.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Austin American Statesman,
23 July 2025
-
Sweltering under a heat dome that brought oppressive triple-digit temperatures and humidity to large swaths of the Midwest and East Coast, average daily highs in Chicago topped 84.1 degrees in June, 3.7 degrees above normal.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
22 July 2025
Adjective
-
Points available at the stage’s finish vary based on a coefficient of difficulty: the more challenging the stage, the fewer points available.—
Sophie Kaufman,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
-
Besides the challenging business climate in Chicago, President Donald Trump’s tariffs are contributing to rising food costs, and his immigration crackdown threatens to disrupt the food-service workforce.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
21 July 2025
Adjective
-
Late-night talk shows across the board are facing the harsh reality that declines in ad revenue can’t make up for burgeoning production costs.—
Liam Reilly,
CNN Money,
22 July 2025
-
The harsh reality is this: not all cell phone forensic extractions are created equal, and the most important evidence for trucking cases on the smartphone will be gone in days or weeks.—
Lars Daniel,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
Adjective
-
Some students may face family challenges that affect their ability to get to school, and some changes to the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness test, such as its move to online instead of paper form, could be difficult for students who only access computers at school, Maldonado said.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
-
Diseases that are difficult to manage without early intervention, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer, place a significant burden on health care budgets and patient quality of life.—
Kim Praitano,
Sun Sentinel,
29 July 2025
Adjective
-
The tougher policy changes are adding to the minors’ trauma, advocates say.—
Nicol León,
AZCentral.com,
22 July 2025
-
The trio had no phone signal to call for help, due to being so far down in the cave, and so Kate made the tough decision to leave the boys to find help.—
Escher Walcott,
People.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
-
In the more demanding Steel Nomad benchmark, the Dell 16 Plus trailed both the Acer Swift 16 AI and LG Gram Pro.—
Brian Westover,
PC Magazine,
17 July 2025
-
Montague also points out that only six Skyview suites exist across the entire 822-guest ship, creating the kind of scarcity that discerning travelers are increasingly demanding.—
Alexis Benveniste,
Robb Report,
16 July 2025
Adjective
-
In a searing rebuttal days before the British socialite was convicted for procuring victims for Epstein’s abuse in December 2021, Comey spoke to the perverted duo’s reasons for targeting teens from disadvantaged backgrounds.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
17 July 2025
-
In a searing ruling against the Trump administration, a federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked federal agents from using racial profiling to carry out indiscriminate immigration arrests that advocates say have terrorized Angelenos, forced people into hiding and damaged the local economy.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
The Bill Imposes Stringent Work Requirements On Medicaid Enrollees The bill enacts new conditions on Medicaid eligibility, requiring individuals between the ages of 19 and 64 to work at least 80 hours per month and undertake onerous reporting requirements.—
Jamila Taylor,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
-
Key industry players believe stablecoins will allow people and companies the ability to transfer money as digital currency anywhere in the world instantaneously, regardless of borders, without onerous and expensive bank or money transfer fees.—
Rafael Nam,
NPR,
19 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Burdensome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burdensome. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share