1
as in tough
difficult to endure
had the onerous and stressful job of notifying the families of soldiers killed in action
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2
as in challenging
requiring much time, effort, or careful attention
building the scale model of the frigate was an onerous task
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of onerous
That means companies that rely heavily on Vietnam for manufacturing, such as Nike, Crocs and Lululemon, will face less onerous costs and might not hike prices as much, compared with the original tariff rate of 46%.
—
Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 3 July 2025
There are no onerous obligations in the Druze faith.
—Lubna Zeidan, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
If the commute is onerous, try to adjust your hours.
—Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 28 June 2025
Madueke is a good Premier League winger who, at the very least, could lighten the onerous minutes load on Saka and maybe even work alongside him, depending on how Arteta decides to align things.
—Art De Roché, New York Times, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for onerous
Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 3 July 2025
There are no onerous obligations in the Druze faith.
—Lubna Zeidan, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
If the commute is onerous, try to adjust your hours.
—Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 28 June 2025
Madueke is a good Premier League winger who, at the very least, could lighten the onerous minutes load on Saka and maybe even work alongside him, depending on how Arteta decides to align things.
—Art De Roché, New York Times, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for onerous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for onerous
Adjective
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The tougher policy changes are adding to the minors’ trauma, advocates say.—
Nicol León,
AZCentral.com,
22 July 2025
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Her tough but fair approach caught the attention of Ed Koch, New York City's mayor at the time, who appointed her as a criminal court judge in 1982.—
Allison DeGrushe Published,
EW.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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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
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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
Adjective
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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All while playing the most physically demanding position on the field, which Raleigh does at an above-average level.—
Tyler Small,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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Mortgage rates, while not historically extreme, are more than double what most homeowners grew used to during the long era of near-zero interest, a shift that’s been psychologically jarring, not just financially burdensome.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
18 July 2025
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The delays continued into December, when CBZ sued and asked a judge to block the subpoenas; the companies argued the requests were too burdensome and broad.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
16 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Onerous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onerous. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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