burden

A difficult duty that someone must accept or deal with.

• He carries the burden of supporting his family.
• We should share the burden of this work.
• The burden of proof rests with the company.

How to use it: burden of something (The burden of caring for her parents falls on her.)

Similar words: responsibility, duty, onus

Common phrases: bear the burden, share the burden, burden of proof

Something that makes life difficult or causes worry.

• The debt became a heavy burden.
• Her illness placed a burden on the whole family.
• Talking about his worries helped ease his burden.

How to use it: burden on someone/something (These debts are a burden on the family.)

Similar words: weight, strain

Common phrases: heavy burden, financial burden, burden on someone

A heavy thing or group of things that someone carries.

• He carried a heavy burden.
• The donkey struggled under its burden.
• She put down her burden and rested.

Similar words: load, weight

Common phrases: heavy burden, carry a burden, lay down a burden

The amount of goods a ship can carry, measured by weight.

• The vessel was listed as two hundred tons burden.
• Ships of greater burden carried more grain.
• The record gives the burden of each merchant ship.

Similar words: carrying capacity, tonnage

Common phrases: tons burden, ship of burden

An old fixed amount of a product, used when weighing or trading it.

• The merchant sold a burden of steel.
• Each burden had to be weighed before sale.
• The old account records three burdens of iron.

Common phrases: burden of steel, one burden

To give someone duties, costs, or problems that are difficult to deal with.

• I do not want to burden you with my problems.
• High taxes burdened local businesses.
• The family is burdened with debt.

How to use it: burden someone/something with something (The new rules burden small businesses with extra costs.)

Similar words: encumber, weigh down

Opposites: relieve

Common phrases: burden someone with, burden the economy

To make someone or something heavy or difficult to move.

• Heavy bags burdened the horse.
• Do not burden the cart with more boxes.
• She was burdened with so much luggage that she could barely walk.

How to use it: burden someone/something with something (They burdened the donkey with heavy bags.)

Similar words: weigh down

Common phrases: burden someone, burden with something

To put a heavy or unwanted load on someone or something.

• They burdened the mule with supplies.
• Workers burdened the cart with wet sand.
• Why burden his shoulders with another sack?

How to use it: burden someone/something with something (They burdened the wagon with sacks of grain.)

Similar words: load

Common phrases: burden something with, burden a cart