Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective burdensome contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of burdensome are exacting, onerous, and oppressive. While all these words mean "imposing hardship," burdensome suggests causing mental as well as physical strain.

burdensome responsibilities

Where would exacting be a reasonable alternative to burdensome?

The words exacting and burdensome are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, exacting implies rigor or sternness rather than tyranny or injustice in the demands made or in the one demanding.

an exacting employer

When can onerous be used instead of burdensome?

The words onerous and burdensome can be used in similar contexts, but onerous stresses being laborious and heavy especially because distasteful.

the onerous task of cleaning up the mess

When could oppressive be used to replace burdensome?

While the synonyms oppressive and burdensome are close in meaning, oppressive implies extreme harshness or severity in what is imposed.

the oppressive tyranny of a police state

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 That's because lower interest rates make borrowing costs less burdensome, and smaller companies tend to have more debt and rely on bank funding than their larger, cash-rich counterparts. Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2025 The Broncos quickly pivoted off Russell Wilson, eating his burdensome salary in 2024, and pushed the franchise forward as if pressing the fast forward button on a VCR. Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025 Under prior law, these costs were recovered over a depreciation schedule of up to 39 years, a complex and burdensome process that penalized long-term domestic investment. Richard Stern, Boston Herald, 14 Sep. 2025 Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin framed the new steps as a move to end burdensome regulations. Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for burdensome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burdensome
Adjective
  • Global organization Human Rights Watch accused the festival of diverting attention away from allegations of the government’s severe repression of free speech and criticized comedians for performing on the behest of an oppressive regime.
    Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
  • The oppressive rule has led to nations cutting off aid, leading to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
    Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The big story Immigration anxieties and a challenging job market have sparked an online backlash over China's latest attempt at attracting global talent — a new visa program announced in August.
    Anniek Bao, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
  • His expertise could greatly benefit Ott, ahead of what is destined to be a challenging year in Phoenix.
    Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The triumphant narrative began to fray when exceedingly harsh lockdown measures could no longer contain the spread of the virus, and the staggering human cost in the name of protecting lives defied all logic.
    Yangyang Cheng, NPR, 4 Oct. 2025
  • There are no easy fixes, so figuring out how to cushion the harsh impact will be the basis of negotiations with other parties in the Japanese legislature, the Diet.
    Jeff Kingston, Time, 4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • For once, the bulk of the anger was directed not at Fosun — the investment group and majority shareholder – and the Molineux hierarchy who have conspired to deal Pereira a difficult hand, but at the head coach himself and his players.
    Steve Madeley, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Romancelandia’s social world, harnessed by its business-minded authors, may make its success exceedingly difficult to replicate.
    Rebecca Ackermann, The Atlantic, 5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Lammens was perhaps fortunate to escape sanction then (Stuart Atwell booked the forward for diving), but this was a valuable occasion ahead of tougher tests, beginning at Anfield.
    Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
  • There will be some tough picking in there, but typically the predicting business gets a little easier in region play.
    Tyler Palmateer, Nashville Tennessean, 4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The week before was so demanding with Manchester United, Napoli, and especially Arsenal.
    Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Leaf raking is more eco-friendly as well as more physically demanding and time-consuming.
    Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • His own divorce from actress Jennifer Jason Leigh informed his Oscar-winning Marriage Story (2019), a searing look at love unraveling.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2025
  • And McConaughey, as a nervy reluctant hero, steers the searing, intense narrative about normal people living through the most hellish of circumstances.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Ongoing inflation and higher tariffs resulting in onerous duties on shoe imports contributed to the increases.
    Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2025
  • After finishing as a luxury tax team in each of the past two seasons, the Heat wants to stay out of the luxury tax this season in order to avoid the onerous repeater tax that’s triggered when a team crosses the luxury-tax threshold in four straight seasons or four times during a five-season period.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Burdensome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burdensome. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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