encumber

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: en=cum=ber

CIDE DICTIONARY

encumber, v. t. [F. encombrer; pref. en- (L. in) + OF. combrer to hinder. See Cumber, and cf. Incumber.].

•  To impede the motion or action of, as with a burden; to retard with something superfluous; to weigh down; to obstruct or embarrass; as, his movements were encumbered by his mantle; his mind is encumbered with useless learning.  [1913 Webster]

  "Not encumbered with any notable inconvenience."  [1913 Webster]
•  To load with debts, or other legal claims; as, to encumber an estate with mortgages.

Syn. -- To load; clog; oppress; overload; embarrass; perplex; hinder; retard; obstruct; check; block.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

encumber, v.tr.
1 be a burden to.
2 hamper, impede.
3 burden (a person or estate) with debts, esp. mortgages.
4 fill or block (a place) esp. with lumber.

Derivative

encumberment n.

Etymology

ME f. OF encombrer block up f. Rmc

THESAURUS

encumber

add, adjoin, affix, agglutinate, annex, append, attach, bear hard upon, block, burden, burthen, charge, clog, complicate, conjoin, cramp, cripple, cumber, decorate, discommode, embarrass, enmesh, ensnarl, entangle, entoil, entrammel, entrap, entwine, fetter, freight, glue on, hamper, hamstring, handicap, hinder, hitch on, hobble, impede, incommode, inconvenience, infix, involve, join with, lade, lame, lime, load, lumber, net, obstruct, oppress, ornament, overburden, overload, overtax, overweight, paste on, plus, postfix, prefix, press down, press hard upon, put with, rest hard upon, retard, saddle, saddle with, shackle, slap on, slow down, snarl, strain, subjoin, suffix, superadd, superpose, tack on, tag, tag on, tangle, tax, toil, trammel, unite with, weigh, weigh down, weigh heavy on, weigh on, weigh upon, weight

ROGET THESAURUS

encumber

Difficulty

VB be difficult, run one hard, go against the grain, try one's patience, put one out, put to one's shifts, put to one's wit's end, go hard with one, try one, pose, perplex, bother, nonplus, gravel, bring to a deadlock, be impossible, be in the way of, meet with difficulties, labor under difficulties, get into difficulties, plunge into difficulties, struggle with difficulties, contend with difficulties, grapple with difficulties, labor under a disadvantage, be in difficulty, fish in troubled waters, buffet the waves, swim against the stream, scud under bare poles, Have much ado with, have a hard time of it, come to the push, come to the pinch, bear the brunt, grope in the dark, lose one's way, weave a tangled web, walk among eggs, get into a scrape, bring a hornet's nest about one's ears, be put to one's shifts, flounder, boggle, struggle, not know which way to turn, perdre son Latin, stick at, stick in the mud, stick fast, come to a stand, come to a standstill, come to a deadlock, hold the wolf by the ears, hold the tiger by the tail, render difficult, enmesh, encumber, embarrass, ravel, entangle, put a spoke in the wheel, lead a pretty dance.

Hindrance

VB hinder, impede, filibuster, impedite, embarrass, keep off, stave off, ward off, obviate, avert, antevert, turn aside, draw off, prevent, forefend, nip in the bud, retard, slacken, check, let, counteract, countercheck, preclude, debar, foreclose, estop, inhibit, shackle, restrict, obstruct, stop, stay, bar, bolt, lock, block, block up, choke off, belay, barricade, block the way, bar the way, stop the way, forelay, dam up, put on the brake, scotch the wheel, lock the wheel, put a spoke in the wheel, put a stop to, traverse, contravene, interrupt, intercept, oppose, hedge in, hedge round, cut off, inerclude, interpose, interfere, intermeddle, cramp, hamper, clog, clog the wheels, cumber, encumber, incumber, handicap, choke, saddle with, load with, overload, lay, lumber, trammel, tie one's hands, put to inconvenience, incommode, discommode, discompose, hustle, corner, drive into a corner, run foul of, fall foul of, cross the path of, break in upon, thwart, frustrate, disconcert, balk, foil, faze, feaze, feeze, baffle, snub, override, circumvent, defeat, spike guns, spoil, mar, clip the wings of, cripple, put an extinguisher on, damp, dishearten, discountenance, throw cold water on, spoil sport, lay a wet blanket, throw a wet blanket on, cut the ground from under one, take the wind out of one's sails, undermine, be in the way of, stand in the way of, act as a drag, hang like a millstone round one's neck.