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onerous

 - 4 dictionary results

on⋅er⋅ous

  [on-er-uhs, oh-ner-]
Use onerous in a Sentence
–adjective
1. burdensome, oppressive, or troublesome; causing hardship: onerous duties.
2. having or involving obligations or responsibilities, esp. legal ones, that outweigh the advantages: an onerous agreement.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME < L onerōsus, equiv. to oner- (s. of onus) burden + -ōsus -ous

Related forms:
on⋅er⋅ous⋅ly, adverb
on⋅er⋅ous⋅ness, o⋅ne⋅ros⋅i⋅ty  [oh-nuh-ros-i-tee] , noun

Synonyms:
1. heavy, crushing, grievous; irksome, galling.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To onerous
on·er·ous   (ŏn'ər-əs, ō'nər-)   
adj.  

  1. Troublesome or oppressive; burdensome. See Synonyms at burdensome.

  2. Law Entailing obligations that exceed advantages.


[Middle English, from Old French onereus, from Latin onerōsus, from onus, oner-, burden.]
on'er·ous·ly adv., on'er·ous·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

onerous 
c.1400, from O.Fr. (h)onereus (14c., Mod.Fr. onéreux), from L. onerosus, from onus (gen. oneris) "burden."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: oner·ous
Pronunciation: 'ä-n&-r&s, 'O-
Function: adjective
1 : excessively burdensome or costly
2 : involving a return benefit, compensation, or consideration onerous donation> —used chiefly in the civil law of Louisiana —see also onerous contract at CONTRACT —compare GRATUITOUS
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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