burden
Weight to carry
A burden is something heavy that must be carried—literally a load, figuratively a responsibility or hardship.
The tax burden falls disproportionately on the middle class.
She didn't want to be a burden to her children.
To burden someone is to load them down physically or emotionally.
The burden of proof is the obligation to demonstrate a claim.
Pressure, mental or vocal
- strainExcessive stretching force
- pressureForce upon contact
- anxietyPersistent apprehensive distress
- worryTroubled mental state
anguish · distress · weight · heaviness · toll · grief · sorrow · guilt
Barrier to progress
- impedimentThing that obstructs progress
- obstacleSomething blocking the way
- barrierObstruction preventing passage
- handicapImposed competitive disadvantage
constraint · limitation · drag · millstone · albatross · liability · stumbling block · drawback
Carried weight or burden
- cargoTransported goods
- freightGoods being transported
- haulPull or carry laboriously
- luggageTraveler's packed containers
baggage · shipment · consignment · payload · bulk · heaviness · tonnage · mass
Required moral task
- obligationRequired task or commitment
- accountabilityObligation for one's actions
- chargeCost or accusation
- onusResponsibility one bears
commitment · mandate · stewardship · trust · custodianship · expectation · task · role
Demanding strenuous effort
- taxingRequiring great effort
- demandingRequiring great effort
- gruelingExtremely tiring and demanding
- strenuousRequiring intense exertion
exhausting · laborious · onerous · oppressive · overwhelming · punishing · crushing · backbreaking
stress
Pressure, mental or vocal
worry · anguish · distress · weight · heaviness · toll · grief · sorrow · guilt · torment
hindrance
Barrier to progress
- impedimentThing that obstructs progress
- obstacleSomething blocking the way
- barrierObstruction preventing passage
handicap · constraint · limitation · drag · millstone · albatross · liability · stumbling block · handicap · drawback
load
Carried weight or burden
luggage · baggage · shipment · consignment · payload · bulk · heaviness · tonnage · mass · heft
duty
Required moral task
- obligationRequired task or commitment
- accountabilityObligation for one's actions
- chargeCost or accusation
onus · commitment · mandate · stewardship · trust · custodianship · expectation · task · role · requirement
arduous
Demanding strenuous effort
strenuous · exhausting · laborious · onerous · oppressive · overwhelming · punishing · crushing · backbreaking · toilsome
debt
Money owed another
mortgage · loan · indebtedness · arrears · dues · levy · tax · toll · overhead · outlay
promise
Commitment to act
bond · commitment · vow · guarantee · undertaking · agreement · compact · oath · word
- annoyancesannoyance, annoyances, irritations, irritation, nuisance
- burdensload, onus, obligations, weight, encumbrance
- dutiesduty, task, obligation, moral obligation, responsibility
- hardshiphardship, adversity, difficulty, trouble, struggle
- setbacksfailing, back to square one, stuck, losing, stumbles
- challengeschallenge, difficult, hard, challenging, tough
burdenlightness
Minimal weight or gravity
unload · weightlessness · unlade · discharge · relief
- shared burden
- beast of burdenAnimal used for hauling
- debt burdenTotal owed obligations weighing down
- burden of proofDuty to prove allegations
- tax burdenAmount owed to government
- shoulder the burdenAccept a difficult duty
burdened, burdensome, burdens, unburden, burdening, unburdened, overburden, unburdening, overburdened