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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 onerous
As currently constructed, the 2025-26 Celtics are on track to be the most expensive team in NBA history, costing close to $500 million between player salaries and onerous luxury tax penalties.
—
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 13 May 2025
The Windows 11 system requirements aren't too onerous.
—Justin Pot, Wired News, 9 May 2025
As the flight of entertainment production work from California accelerates, Los Angeles’ film permitting process has come under fire from local advocates as overly onerous and expensive, adding to the cocktail of reasons why productions might leave the state for their shoots.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2025
In 2024, Amazon did just that by holding an event in lower Manhattan that started later than expected, making the trek for a Univision spotlight in midtown more onerous.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for onerous
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 13 May 2025
The Windows 11 system requirements aren't too onerous.
—Justin Pot, Wired News, 9 May 2025
As the flight of entertainment production work from California accelerates, Los Angeles’ film permitting process has come under fire from local advocates as overly onerous and expensive, adding to the cocktail of reasons why productions might leave the state for their shoots.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2025
In 2024, Amazon did just that by holding an event in lower Manhattan that started later than expected, making the trek for a Univision spotlight in midtown more onerous.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for onerous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for onerous
Adjective
-
Being a careless jackass but also irresistibly charming is a tough needle to thread.—
Staff Author Published,
EW.com,
22 May 2025
-
Buy Now: Flashlight on Bookshop | Amazon | Barnes & Noble Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, V. E. Schwab (June 10) V. E. Schwab’s sapphic vampire romance begins in 16th century Spain with Maria, a tough young bride, looking to escape her wealthy husband.—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
The new bill, advocates said, is also expected to be particularly challenging for Native Americans who rely on tribal cards for identification ‒ which typically don't include place of birth, as the new law requires.—
Deborah Barfield Berry,
USA Today,
22 May 2025
-
In this one-man show, Whitfield steps onstage not just as a performer, but as a guide—challenging, inspiring, and activating the ABFF community to transform their pain into purpose.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
In fact, all forms of Persian rap — from street rap and gangsta to philosophical and social hip-hop — were used in the service of protest, with many works accompanied by heavy beats, dark atmospheres, and harsh narrative styles.—
Ali Farahmand,
IndieWire,
23 May 2025
-
Padilla had harsh comments for the president and the GOP in a statement Thursday after the House vote.—
David Lightman,
Sacbee.com,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
Two of Elissa’s tumors were obliterated that day, but the third was too difficult to reach without repositioning Elissa’s body in a way that would have taken too much time under anesthesia.—
Kristen Jordan Shamus,
USA Today,
19 May 2025
-
Luca Solca sector head for global luxury goods at Bernstein Clouding the picture further, many other premium Swiss watchmakers including Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, are privately owned, making their performance difficult to decipher.—
Karen Gilchrist,
CNBC,
18 May 2025
Adjective
-
The United States held Qaddafi’s Libya up as a success story in the global war on terror, a former rogue state that had made amends for its murderous past, relinquished its nuclear-weapons program and reoriented its oppressive state apparatus around American foreign-policy priorities.—
Henry Leutwyler Robert Petkoff Emma Kehlbeck Quinton Kamara,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
-
Contracts of adhesion are sometimes seen as oppressive, especially in the consumer context, but courts often regard them as enforceable.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
20 May 2025
Adjective
-
Additionally, ensuring data accuracy and integrity within compliance features, especially for reporting and audit trails, can be technically demanding and prone to errors if not carefully managed.—
Suresh Kannan,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
-
That, plus more demanding processors, higher burst rates, and video modes, means mirrorless cameras get less battery life than DSLRs.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
20 May 2025
Adjective
-
Peña said that because the physical changes to the third floor will be minimal, the new flea market should be open in the next couple of weeks — just in time to avoid Miami’s searing summer heat and sudden thunderstorms.—
Connie Ogle,
Miami Herald,
21 May 2025
-
Pyroclastic clouds, or a dense mixture of ash, gas and rock dispersed during a volcanic eruption, caused a searing, rapid avalanche of debris to fill the home, Zuchtriegel said.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
17 May 2025
Adjective
-
In Florida, however, schools say library opt-out and curriculum transparency laws have been burdensome because school staff members must catalog thousands of books and curriculum materials and post the details online.—
Dana Goldstein,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
-
Experts say most Medicaid beneficiaries are working, and work requirements force enrollees to complete burdensome paperwork requirements.—
Nathaniel Weixel,
The Hill,
15 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Onerous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onerous. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share