What does burthensome mean?
Burthensome means excessively heavy, difficult, or troublesome to bear, especially when referring to responsibilities, obligations, regulations, taxes, or difficult circumstances. The word has a strong, slightly old-fashioned literary quality and is chiefly encountered in formal or archaic writing. It is a less common spelling variant of burdensome, with the older form “burthen” reflected in its internal spelling. A sentence may describe a task as burthensome when it is onerous or taxing, or say that a new burden has become increasingly burdensome for a person or organization. Although physically heavy objects are not the word’s usual focus, its underlying idea of carrying a difficult load remains central to its figurative use. Burthensome is useful in elevated prose because it conveys both weight and oppression more emphatically than the ordinary word “heavy,” while its rarity may make it unsuitable for casual or highly informal contexts.
adjectiveCausing a heavy or oppressive amount of difficulty; onerous. It is a formal or archaic variant of burdensome.
- Causing or experienced as causing a heavy or oppressive burden; onerous.
"A heavy caseload of paperwork had become increasingly burthensome."
"A heavy caseload of paperwork had become increasingly burthensome."
"The new regulations have become increasingly burthensome to small businesses."
Burthensome preserves an older spelling of burden, making it essentially the literary cousin of burdensome.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of burthensome
Burthensome is an English adjective formed from burthen, an older form of burden, with the suffix -some. Burthen continues the Middle English and Old English history of the word now spelled burden, while the English suffix -some is used to create adjectives describing the nature or quality of something. The form with the internal “th” later fell out of general use in favor of burdensome, but survives in formal and literary language.
How burthensome is actually used
This is a formal, literary, or archaic word. It is normally used figuratively for duties, responsibilities, regulations, taxes, or other conditions that are difficult to bear; modern standard English generally prefers burdensome.
Easily confused with burthensome
Burthensome and burdensome have the same meaning, but burthensome preserves the older spelling of burden and is much less common.