What does cumbersome mean?
Cumbersome is an adjective describing something that is large, heavy, or awkwardly shaped and therefore hard to carry, use, or deal with. A cumbersome suitcase, a cumbersome piece of machinery, or a cumbersome costume all share this quality of being physically unwieldy. Over time the word has also come to describe abstract things: a cumbersome process, procedure, or regulation is one made unnecessarily slow, complicated, or inefficient by excessive steps or requirements. The word carries a mildly negative connotation, implying that whatever it describes would work better if it were simpler or lighter. It derives from the verb 'cumber', meaning to hinder or burden, which traces back through Old French 'combrer' to a late Latin root meaning obstruction — so at its core, something cumbersome literally obstructs you. Common collocations include 'cumbersome process' and 'cumbersome equipment'. Its near-synonyms are unwieldy, bulky, clumsy, and awkward; its antonyms include manageable and handy.
adjectiveLarge or heavy and therefore difficult to carry, use, or handle; awkward because of its size, weight, or shape.
- Large, heavy, or awkward in form and therefore difficult to carry, use, or manage (of physical objects).
- Complicated, slow, or inefficient in a way that makes something difficult to do (of processes, systems, or procedures).
"The old filing system was so cumbersome that retrieving a single document took half an hour."
"He struggled up the stairs with a cumbersome suitcase packed for a three-week trip."
"Critics complained that the new tax forms imposed a cumbersome burden on small businesses."
Cumbersome comes from the same Old French word that gives us 'encumber' — literally to block someone's path — which is exactly what a cumbersome thing does: it gets in your way.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cumbersome
Cumbersome derives from the verb 'cumber', meaning to trouble, hinder, or burden, combined with the suffix '-some' indicating a quality or characteristic. 'Cumber' entered Middle English from Anglo-Norman and Old French 'combrer' or 'cumberer', meaning to obstruct or ravage, itself from a Late Latin term 'comborare' related to 'bombarx', meaning obstruction or barricade. It has been used in English since at least the early 17th century. Related words sharing this origin include 'encumber', 'encumbrance', and the now-rare synonym 'cumbrous'.
How cumbersome is actually used
Standard in both formal and informal registers. Originally applied chiefly to physical bulk, it is now very commonly used figuratively of procedures, bureaucracy, and systems that are inefficiently complicated. The rare variant 'cumbrous' exists but is archaic in modern usage.
Easily confused with cumbersome
Encumbered means weighed down or burdened by something, whereas cumbersome describes the thing itself as awkward to handle.
Cumbrous is an older, rarer synonym of cumbersome that shares the same root but is now seldom used in everyday English.