Nearby Words
Synonyms
dnnoun
1.
that which is carried; load: a horse's burden of rider and pack.
2.
that which is borne with difficulty; obligation; onus: the burden of leadership.
3.
4.
Mining. overburden (def. 3).
5.
EXPANDMetallurgy. the minerals charged into a blast furnace or steelmaking furnace.
verb (used with object)
7.
to load heavily.
8.
to load oppressively; trouble.
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Burden
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is lollygag. Does it mean:
| to spend time idly; loaf. |
| chat, to converse |
Origin:
before 1000; Middle English, variant of burthen, Old English byrthen; akin to German Bürde, Gothic baurthei; see bear1
before 1000; Middle English, variant of burthen, Old English byrthen; akin to German Bürde, Gothic baurthei; see bear1
Related forms
bur·den·er, noun
bur·den·less, adjective
Synonyms
1. See load. 2. weight, encumbrance, impediment. 8. weigh down, saddle, try, afflict, perturb, plague, grieve, vex.
1. See load. 2. weight, encumbrance, impediment. 8. weigh down, saddle, try, afflict, perturb, plague, grieve, vex.
Example Sentences
- As crops dry up and farmers migrate to urban shantytowns lacking clean water and basic sanitation, the burden is amplified.
- Publishing is a lot more fun when you're freed from the burden of profitability.
- Every man shall bear his own burden.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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|
Link To burden
Collins
World English Dictionary
| burden2 (ˈbɜːdən) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a line of words recurring at the end of each verse of a ballad or similar song; chorus or refrain |
| 2. | the principal or recurrent theme of a speech, book, etc |
| 3. | another word for bourdon |
| [C16: from Old French bourdon bass horn, droning sound, of imitative origin] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
burden
O.E. byrðen "a load, weight, charge, duty;" also "a child;" from P.Gmc. *burthinjo "that which is borne" (cf. O.N. byrðr, O.S. burthinnia, Ger. bürde, Goth. baurþei), from PIE *bher- (1) "carry, give birth." The shift from -th- to -d- took place beginning 12c. (cf.
EXPAND murder). Archaic burthen is occasionally retained for the specific sense of "capacity of a ship." Burden of proof is recorded from 1590s.
burden
"leading idea," 1640s, from earlier sense "refrain or chorus of a song," 1590s, originally "bass accompaniment to music" (late 14c.), from O.Fr. bordon "bumble-bee, drone," or directly from M.L. burdonom "drone, drone bass" (cf. Fr. bourdon, Sp. bordon, Port. bordão, It. bordone), of echoic origin.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Easton
Bible Dictionary
Burden definition
(1.) A load of any kind (Ex. 23:5). (2.) A severe task (Ex. 2:11). (3.) A difficult duty, requiring effort (Ex. 18:22). (4.) A prophecy of a calamitous or disastrous nature (Isa. 13:1; 17:1; Hab. 1:1, etc.).
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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