Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective burdensome contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of burdensome are exacting, onerous, and oppressive. While all these words mean "imposing hardship," burdensome suggests causing mental as well as physical strain.

burdensome responsibilities

Where would exacting be a reasonable alternative to burdensome?

The words exacting and burdensome are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, exacting implies rigor or sternness rather than tyranny or injustice in the demands made or in the one demanding.

an exacting employer

When can onerous be used instead of burdensome?

The words onerous and burdensome can be used in similar contexts, but onerous stresses being laborious and heavy especially because distasteful.

the onerous task of cleaning up the mess

When could oppressive be used to replace burdensome?

While the synonyms oppressive and burdensome are close in meaning, oppressive implies extreme harshness or severity in what is imposed.

the oppressive tyranny of a police state

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of burdensome On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard arguments that could determine if a Texas age-gating law preventing kids from accessing pornography online is overly burdensome for adults. Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 15 Jan. 2025 But glossed over amid all the tributes is the burdensome legacy that Mr. Carter left for his Democratic Party: a presidency long caricatured as a symbol of ineffectiveness and weakness. Adam Nagourney, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025 Doing so can be a burdensome undertaking that under current standards can stretch on for years. Brooke Migdon, The Hill, 6 Jan. 2025 She, too, is forced to go to internet cafés to handle the government’s burdensome reporting requirements, which must be done online. Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for burdensome 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burdensome
Adjective
  • Jimmy Garoppolo profited from exposure to 49ers’ system The Commanders, thankfully shorn of the oppressive incompetence of former owner Daniel Snyder, were remade in a year by G.M. Adam Peters and coach Dan Quinn.
    Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2025
  • The book, taking the form of a fable told in short, single paragraphs, scattershot swatches of wisdom, aphorisms and illustrations, has long been a manual for how to practice togetherness in the face of extreme, oppressive opposition.
    Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • While the victory was routine, their goalkeeping situation and transfer dealings are more challenging.
    Emile Nuh, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Though bucks are known to get their antlers tangled up during fights on rare occasions, this predicament was particularly challenging — and called for very steady aim, according to wildlife officials.
    Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • So, if the Dodgers transition from the team that was unable to win it in a 162-game regular season to a dynasty similar to the Yankees dynasty, then the complaints of harsher regulations against the Dodgers may be warranted.
    Tyler Small, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Ideally, opt for an eco-friendly detergent without harsh chemicals.
    Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The emotional weight of losing that independence is difficult to quantify, but its impact is profound.
    John Hope Bryant, TIME, 18 Jan. 2025
  • Simplifying Complexity Through Narratives Leaders often need to communicate complex strategies or concepts, which can be difficult for teams to fully grasp.
    Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Though not nearly as consequential as Dallas losing Dončić, Minnesota took a tough blow Monday — Donte DiVincenzo will be out indefinitely due to a toe injury.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Last year was a tough one for job seekers, who on average were unemployed for 23.3 weeks in December, up from 19.4 in December 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    Maria Gracia Santillana Linares, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Today’s shoppers are more demanding, more savvy and more cost-conscious than ever before.
    Gary Drenik, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
  • Friends and sources told PEOPLE at the time that although Silva was excited for Costner’s Hollywood ascendance, their relationship became more difficult due to his increasingly demanding schedule.
    Brendan Le, People.com, 18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • At the end of the day, room could not be found for even Marianne Jean-Baptiste, a past Oscar nominee who swept the major critics awards for her searing turn in Hard Truths, or Angelina Jolie, a past Oscar winner and the A-lister of A-listers, who seemed an early front-runner for the biopic Maria.
    Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Jan. 2025
  • Working for New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller in California’s 1964 Republican presidential primary, the pair ran a searing campaign against Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater, falling just shy of an upset.
    Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Watson’s tenure with the Browns has been nothing short of a disaster, and even with an onerous contract, his latest injury could signal the end of his time in Cleveland.
    Mark Ross, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Inflation and its onerous burden on households, particularly those at the lower end of the income spectrum, has dwarfed all the other good that happened on Biden’s watch.
    Jeff Cox, CNBC, 19 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near burdensome

Cite this Entry

“Burdensome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burdensome. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on burdensome

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