burden 1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈbər-dᵊn How to pronounce burden (audio)
Definition of burdennext
1
as in load
a mass or quantity of something taken up and carried, conveyed, or transported the early settlers often used horses to carry their burdens

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in responsibility
something one must do because of prior agreement the burden of homework prevented the youngster from joining his friends at the game

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

burden

2 of 3

noun (2)

as in chorus
a part of a song or hymn that is repeated every so often had some trouble coming up with a burden for the song

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burden

3 of 3

verb

1
as in to load
to place a weight or burden on burdened the dog with a little backpack

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to trouble
to make sad refuses to let everyday problems burden her

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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 burden
Noun
The type of exhilarating guard who can shoulder the burden of pulling Sacramento back into relevance. — Devon Henderson, New York Times, 5 July 2026 The ombudsmen point to impossible care burdens that cause burnout, irregular schedules, lack of training and the difficulty of taking care of seniors who, in previous decades, would have qualified for hospital care. — Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 5 July 2026
Verb
Advocates said funding for the program will provide essential resources to help the unhoused, while opponents said committing to it would further burden the city financially. — Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 29 June 2026 The place is burdened by its size, with a culture that current and former employees routinely describe as bureaucratic, sometimes bordering on sclerotic, and highly risk-adverse. — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for burden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burden
  1. load
  2. responsibility
  3. chorus
  4. trouble
  5. loading
  6. obligation
  7. depress
  8. payload
Noun
  • Depending on how full your washing machine is, add up to a cup of it to your regular load and get ready to see the difference.
    — Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 1 July 2026
  • Like a true pal, a big pot of it in my refrigerator lightens my load, providing a nourishing meal my whole family loves at a moment’s notice.
    — Ellie Krieger, Washington Post, 1 July 2026
Definition of load
Noun
  • In many cases, cars add stress, expense, and responsibility without many upsides for college students, especially those attending urban colleges and universities with readily accessible public transit.
    — Chris Teague, AJC.com, 3 July 2026
  • Chuck Norris Throughout his life, Chuck Norris was associated with messages celebrating patriotism, faith and civic responsibility.
    — Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of responsibility
Noun
  • Foster effectively invented the idea of a professional songwriter; founded the American songbook and pioneered the now-standard verse-chorus structure; and inspired the intellectual-property law of music.
    — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026
  • Paired with bubbly disco grooves and chant-along choruses, the band became gay icons overnight.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of chorus
Verb
  • As the second half began, Cape Verde continued to hold off the Argentinians and managed a couple of opportunities on the opposition’s goal, though nothing that overly troubled Emiliano Martínez.
    — Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
  • Woolf composed her great modernist novels and her brilliant essays while troubled by suicidal thoughts and the tumult of two world wars.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 1 July 2026
Definition of trouble
Noun
  • Fuel rods for the Aalo-X Critical Test Reactor were manufactured by GE Vernova’s Global Nuclear Fuel business and delivered to the Idaho site in April before the reactor received approval for fuel loading and startup.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 July 2026
  • Its all-new VL45 Plus combines the advantages of top-loading and door fridges with a triple-access system that all but eliminates the need for a separate slide costing hundreds of dollars.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 July 2026
Definition of loading
Noun
  • Leaders who want durable AI revenue need to treat commercial clarity as an obligation before the market turns confusion into precedent.
    — Rishi Katdare, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • Taking time to understand the legal obligations, reviewing account documents and exploring repayment or debt relief options when necessary can help families make informed financial decisions during an already challenging time.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Definition of obligation
Verb
  • However, price bulls highlight a fragile US-Iran ceasefire and past IEA surplus forecasts that failed to depress prices.
    — Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
  • The problem is that too many teachers are failing to motivate students, and the peer effect can go both ways, depressing student achievement in places where ambition isn’t valued.
    — Mike Goldstein, The Atlantic, 25 June 2026
Definition of depress
Noun
  • Metadata provides the context needed to understand how workloads communicate, where traffic is moving and how AI systems behave over time without requiring organizations to analyze every prompt, transaction or data payload individually.
    — Shane Buckley, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • The first stage puts its payload inside an app bundle that impersonates real components built into macOS.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 2 July 2026
Definition of payload

Browse Nearby Words

burbling
burden
burdened
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Cite this Entry

“Burden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burden. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of burden for Spanish Speakers

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