shoulder the burden
Bear the load
To shoulder the burden is to accept responsibility for something difficult or heavy, as one might hoist a physical load onto one's shoulders.
The phrase emphasizes willingness or obligation to bear what others cannot or will not: She shouldered the burden of caring for her aging parents.
Often implies the weight falls disproportionately on one person.
- bearLarge furry omnivore
- backReverse side; support
- strainExcessive stretching force
- loadCarried weight or burden
- heftPerceived mass, substance
accountability · obligation · fortitude · undertaking · stewardship · duty · perseverance · resilience · tough it out · soldier on · Atlas · lift · pull your weight · sacrifice · mantle · take responsibility · yoke · cross to bear
- body idiomsheart of gold, heart of stone, cold heart, warm heart, soft heart
- accountabilityaccountability, responsibility, accountable, take responsibility, answerability
shoulder the burdenpass the buck
Transfer responsibility elsewhere
shift the blame · palm off · offload · delegate · foist off
shoulder the burdendo nothing
Remain inactive deliberately
sit back · opt out · disengage · walk away · turn a blind eye
shoulder the burdensit back
Relax without participating
stand aside · coast · slack off · take the easy way out · free ride
shoulder, burden, shoulders, shouldered, shouldering, burdens, burdened, burdening, burdensome