1
as in tough
difficult to endure
had the onerous and stressful job of notifying the families of soldiers killed in action
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of onerous
These incentives go a long way toward making relocation less onerous for older workers but there is room for improvement.
—
Dave Smith, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2025
Storing and processing huge amounts of data—particularly sensitive customer data—is expensive, time-consuming and confers what can be onerous regulatory obligations.
—Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Democrats are even arguing that having to complete any type of documentation to confirm their eligibility for benefits is just too onerous for recipients, and therefore, many would choose to lose their coverage rather than complete the required paperwork.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 21 Aug. 2025
This raised around £40m on top of their £18m payment from the ECB’s central sales pot, meaning Yorkshire have finally been able to shake off the onerous debt that has hamstrung operations for a generation.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for onerous
Dave Smith, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2025
Storing and processing huge amounts of data—particularly sensitive customer data—is expensive, time-consuming and confers what can be onerous regulatory obligations.
—Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Democrats are even arguing that having to complete any type of documentation to confirm their eligibility for benefits is just too onerous for recipients, and therefore, many would choose to lose their coverage rather than complete the required paperwork.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 21 Aug. 2025
This raised around £40m on top of their £18m payment from the ECB’s central sales pot, meaning Yorkshire have finally been able to shake off the onerous debt that has hamstrung operations for a generation.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for onerous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for onerous
Adjective
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That’s a tough dichotomy to bridge, but the new 2025 911 Carrera GTS achieves it brilliantly.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
7 Sep. 2025
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The tough stainless steel loops are reinforced and designed to remain rust-free even after years of use, and a three number combination lock will be easy to remember and difficult to crack.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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To be sure, the last few years have been more challenging, with Gucci rapidly losing momentum — and Kering’s debt load swelling after an acquisition spree that included Creed, Maui Jim, a 30 percent stake in Valentino, and large chunks of prime real estate.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
9 Sep. 2025
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Ultimately, gig engineering is becoming an attractive but challenging path.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The once-beloved pastels will become harsh.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The pilgrimage, listed on the official calendar of jubilee events, comes as gay Catholics look to Pope Leo XIV to continue down the bold path of his predecessor to welcome into the church a group that has in the past faced alienation and sometimes harsh treatment.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The Bulls look to be the best team in the Group of Five conferences, while the Gators and coach Billy Napier are now under pressure with a difficult SEC schedule ahead.—
Erick Smith,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Usually the final day of boot camp is most difficult.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Related Stories Farrelly thinks that kind of oppressive political correctness is fading and that audiences are eager to see movies that eviscerate good taste in order to land a joke again.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Pitted against the unforgettably evil Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), a sadist who drugs and abuses the unlucky patients in her care, McMurphy’s stand against the oppressive powers that be is tragic and poignant and spoke to the spirit of a time in which so many felt misunderstood.—
Christina Newland,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Bassini has observed the circuit of influencers and hopefuls who try a more demanding don’t-you-know-who-I-am approach, only to see them get turned away unceremoniously each time.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
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By contrast, six Black women have journeyed to outer space as astronauts, a job that is equally demanding and risky and for which the odds of being selected are very low.—
Gena Cox,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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There’s a significant battery life tax to pay for the microLED model’s searing brightness, too.—
Andrew Williams,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
But the gifted Argentinian auteur has never tackled the issue as directly as in Landmarks (Nuestra Tierra), a searing and detailed chronicle of murder, bigotry and robbery on a massive scale that also marks the director’s first feature-length documentary.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Empowering Educators With Behavioral Insights A common concern among educators is that new data systems might be burdensome or even second-guess their professional judgment.—
Haozhen Yang,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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But over time, what once felt empowering began to feel burdensome.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Onerous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onerous. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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