Synonyms of encumbrance

encumbrance

noun

in-ˈkəm-brən(t)s 

as in obstacle

something that makes movement or progress difficult

without the encumbrance of a heavy backpack, I could sprint along the trail

Synonyms & Similar Words

• obstacle
• hurdle
• obstruction
• embarrassment
• interference
• barrier
• hindrance
• burden
• impediment
• let
• inhibition
• shackles
• handicap
• constraint
• deterrent
• chain
• load
• stumbling block
• hitch
• block
• cramp
• stop
• trammel
• balk
• manacle
• drag
• holdback
• fetter
• delay
• clog
• bar
• danger
• brake
• disadvantage
• crimp
• restraint
• blockade
• curb
• arrest
• hazard
• difficulty
• blockage
• rub
• embargo
• stone wall
• rein
• hardship
• brick wall
• catch
• stoppage
• snag
• drawback
• stall
• peril
• bit
• hobble
• holdup
• check
• reef
• cumber
• adversity

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• incentive
• advantage
• stimulus
• impetus
• catalyst
• spur
• assistance
• benefit
• edge
• aid
• stimulant
• break
• help
• goad
• boost
• handmaiden

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of encumbrance

The City of Boca Raton lost because the lease itself became the encumbrance. — Stacy Sipple, Sun Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2026

Still, Sabbath sounded amazing, the band’s distinctive vibe of limitless cosmic encumbrance, of Man squirming under the thumb of Fate, God, madness—the essential heavy-metal vision—somehow magnified by the venerable wobbliness of its playing. — James Parker, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025

Coppola, who has been directing movies since 1963, voices his frustrations with the technical and material encumbrances that inhere in the conventional, professional way of working. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2025

But corporate apathy wasn’t the project’s only encumbrance. — Joan Gaylord, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Aug. 2025