Definition of burdensomenext

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 Watson is back for the final year of a contract that’s become one of the NFL’s most burdensome. Zac Jackson, New York Times, 3 June 2026 Financial institutions have argued that implementation would be burdensome and costly, affecting not only their industry but potentially also small businesses and consumers. Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026 As chair of the Assembly’s Communications and Conveyance Committee, Boerner said the caseload the CPUC’s five commissioners have to handle is too burdensome and expanding the roster to nine will improve things. Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2026 California’s current removal process is lengthy, costly, and procedurally burdensome to the point that administrators too often choose to leave underperforming teachers in classrooms and students instead of doing the right thing. Mercury News Editorial Board, Mercury News, 27 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for burdensome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burdensome
Adjective
  • The story began with Joel (Pedro Pascal), a hardened survivor, getting hired to smuggle Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 11 June 2026
  • But amid all the oppressive government’s inculcation in the name of plummeting birthrates, girls will be girls.
    Jennifer Maas, Variety, 11 June 2026
Adjective
  • Inmates challenging execution methods must suggest an alternative method.
    Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
  • Cognitive skills generally improve with deliberate, focused and progressively more challenging training.
    Supreet Kaur, Scientific American, 10 June 2026
Adjective
  • Ikutiminu, who will attend UC Irvine in the fall, even spoke with musicians about how to create a sound that would be less harsh than the vuvuzela.
    Kenny Choi, CBS News, 12 June 2026
  • Without toxic acids Tripathi’s breakthrough eliminates the harsh chemicals.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 11 June 2026
Adjective
  • The verdict was delivered amid difficult personal circumstances for Mette-Marit, Hoiby’s mother, who needs a lung transplant for pulmonary fibrosis.
    Reuters, CNN Money, 15 June 2026
  • Otherwise, those prospects start becoming large contracts that stand more difficult to move or aggregate.
    Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2026
Adjective
  • With the when, where and who will play whom at the 2026 World Cup all locked in, how do the groups rank from the easiest to the toughest?
    Andrew Greif, NBC news, 12 June 2026
  • Opening a restaurant in downtown Boise is a tough racket.
    Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 11 June 2026
Adjective
  • The formula is more demanding than most people realize, and the research behind it suggests close friendships may matter more for long-term health than almost anything else.
    Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 June 2026
  • Why do humanoids still struggle The problem is that battlefields are among the most demanding environments imaginable.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 16 June 2026
Adjective
  • Standing at a podium in Washington last week, Missouri’s senior senator called on Republicans to regulate the artificial intelligence industry in a searing speech that cast the dangers of AI as a moral dilemma.
    Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 9 June 2026
  • With its brilliant white surface reflecting the searing Spanish sun, the cross that crowns the Tower of Jesus Christ (the other 17 towers are dedicated to the 12 apostles, four Evangelists and the Virgin Mary) is as tall as a five-story building and weighs around 100 tons.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Adjective
  • Chicagoans expect Mayor Johnson and the council to work together to turn over every rock in order to make this debilitating meter situation less onerous.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2026
  • Gary Raines, chief economist at FDRA, told FN that May’s sharp advance suggests other factors, namely onerous tariffs, as the reason behind the recent surge as these tariffs work their way across the supply chain.
    Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 10 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Burdensome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burdensome. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.

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