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Word Study
burden
CIDE DICTIONARY
burden, n. [OE. burden, burthen, birthen, birden, AS. byr; akin to Icel. byr, Dan. byrde, Sw. börda, G. bÜrde, OHG. burdi, Goth. baúr, fr. the root of E. bear, AS. beran, Goth. bairan. √92. See 1st Bear.].
- That which is borne or carried; a load. [1913 Webster]"Plants with goodly burden bowing." [1913 Webster]
- That which is borne with labor or difficulty; that which is grievous, wearisome, or oppressive. [1913 Webster]"Deaf, giddy, helpless, left alone,
To all my friends a burden grown." [1913 Webster] - The capacity of a vessel, or the weight of cargo that she will carry; as, a ship of a hundred tons burden. [1913 Webster]
- The tops or heads of stream-work which lie over the stream of tin. [1913 Webster]
- The proportion of ore and flux to fuel, in the charge of a blast furnace. Raymond. [1913 Webster]
- A fixed quantity of certain commodities; as, a burden of gad steel, 120 pounds. [1913 Webster]
- A birth. Shak. [1913 Webster]
burden, v. t.
- To encumber with weight (literal or figurative); to lay a heavy load upon; to load. [1913 Webster]"I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened." [1913 Webster]
- To oppress with anything grievous or trying; to overload; as, to burden a nation with taxes. [1913 Webster]"My burdened heart would break." [1913 Webster]
- To impose, as a load or burden; to lay or place as a burden (something heavy or objectionable). [1913 Webster]"It is absurd to burden this act on Cromwell." [1913 Webster]
Syn. -- To load; encumber; overload; oppress.
burden, n. [OE. burdoun the bass in music, F. bourdon; cf. LL. burdo drone, a long organ pipe, a staff, a mule. Prob. of imitative origin. Cf. Bourdon.].
- The verse repeated in a song, or the return of the theme at the end of each stanza; the chorus; refrain. Hence: That which is often repeated or which is dwelt upon; the main topic; as, the burden of a prayer. [1913 Webster]"I would sing my song without a burden." [1913 Webster]
- The drone of a bagpipe. Ruddiman. [1913 Webster]
burden, n. [See Burdon.].
A club. Spenser. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
burden, n. & v.
--n.
1 a load, esp. a heavy one.
2 an oppressive duty, obligation, expense, emotion, etc.
3 the bearing of loads (beast of burden).
4 (also archaic burthen) a ship's carrying-capacity, tonnage.
5 a the refrain or chorus of a song. b the chief theme or gist of a speech, book, poem, etc.
--v.tr. load with a burden; encumber, oppress.
--n.
1 a load, esp. a heavy one.
2 an oppressive duty, obligation, expense, emotion, etc.
3 the bearing of loads (beast of burden).
4 (also archaic burthen) a ship's carrying-capacity, tonnage.
5 a the refrain or chorus of a song. b the chief theme or gist of a speech, book, poem, etc.
--v.tr. load with a burden; encumber, oppress.
Idiom
burden of proof the obligation to prove one's case.
Derivative
burdensome adj.
Etymology
OE byrthen: rel. to BIRTH
THESAURUS
burden
Spenserian stanza, accommodation, add, adjoin, affix, afflict, affliction, agglutinate, agitate, albatross, allegiance, amount, anacrusis, annex, antistrophe, append, arraignability, arraignableness, assigned task, attach, bag, bale, bane, barrel, basis, bass, bass passage, bear down on, bear hard upon, bis, bitter cup, bitter draft, bitter draught, bitter pill, blameworthiness, bloody hands, bob, body, book, bother, bottle, bounden duty, bourdon, box, bridge, bugbear, burden of care, burden with, burdening, burthen, business, busy, cadence, calamity, call of duty, can, cankerworm of care, canto, capacity, care, cargo, carload, cartload, case, censurability, censurableness, chant, chapter, charge, chargeability, charging, chest voice, chorus, clog, coda, coloratura, commitment, complicate, complicity, concern, conjoin, content, cordage, couplet, cramp, crate, criminality, cripple, cross, crown of thorns, crush one, crushing burden, culpability, cumber, cumbrance, curse, deadweight, death, decorate, dedication, deference, demand, destruction, development, devoir, devotion, difficulty, dirty hands, disadvantage, discomfort, disease, disquiet, distich, distress, disturb, ditto, division, drag, drive, drone, drone bass, duties and responsibilities, duty, embarrass, embarrassment, encumber, encumbrance, enjoin, enmesh, ensnarl, entangle, entoil, entrammel, entrap, entwine, envoi, epode, essence, ethics, evil, exact, exhaust, exposition, fag, falsetto, fasten upon, fealty, fetter, figure, fill, focus of attention, focus of interest, folderol, freight, freight with, gall, gall and wormwood, gist, glue on, go hard with, go ill with, gravamen, grievance, guilt, guiltiness, guilty conscience, hamper, hamstring, handicap, harm, harmonic close, haul, haunt, haunt the memory, head, head voice, heading, heap, heap up, heptastich, hexastich, hitch on, hobble, homage, impeachability, impeachableness, impede, impediment, impedimenta, imperative, implication, impose, impose on, impose upon, imposition, inconvenience, incubus, inculpation, incumbency, indictability, indictableness, infix, inflict on, inflict upon, infliction, interlude, intermezzo, introductory phrase, involve, involvement, issue, join with, keep busy, lade, lading, lame, lay, lay on, levy, lie on, lime, limit, line, line of duty, living issue, load, load with care, loading, loyalty, lumber, main point, mass, matter, matter in hand, measure, meat, millstone, mission, monostich, motif, motive, movement, musical phrase, musical sentence, must, nemesis, net, obligation, obsess, octastich, octave, octet, onus, open wound, oppress, oppression, ornament, ottava rima, ought, overburden, overdrive, overload, overtask, overtax, overtaxing, overweigh, overweight, overweighting, overwork, pack, pack away, pack of troubles, part, passage, paste on, payload, peccancy, peck of troubles, penalty, pentastich, period, perturb, pest, pestilence, phrase, pile, pith, place, plague, plus, pocket, point, point at issue, point in question, postfix, poundage, prefix, press down, press hard upon, pressure, prey on, problem, purport, put, put down, put on, put to it, put upon, put with, quantity, quatrain, question, red-handedness, refrain, repeat, repetend, reprehensibility, reproachableness, reprovability, reprovableness, resolution, respect, response, rest hard upon, rhyme royal, ritornello, room, rubric, running sore, sack, saddle, saddle with, saddling, scourge, sea of troubles, section, self-imposed duty, septet, sestet, set, sextet, shackle, ship, shipload, slap on, snarl, sorrow, space, stack, stanza, statement, stave, store, stow, stowage, strain, strophe, subject, subject matter, subject of thought, subject to, subjoin, substance, suffix, superadd, superincumbency, superpose, surcharge, sweat, syllable, tack on, tag, tag on, tailpiece, tangle, task, tax, taxing, tercet, terza rima, tetrastich, text, theme, thorn, thrust, tire, toil, tonnage, topic, torment, trailerload, trainload, trammel, treble, triplet, tristich, trouble, truckload, try one, tutti, tutti passage, undersong, unite with, upset, upshot, vanload, variation, verse, vexation, visitation, voce, voce di petto, voce di testa, voice, volume, waters of bitterness, wear out, weary, weigh, weigh down, weigh heavy on, weigh on, weigh upon, weight, weight down, weight down with, white elephant, woe, work, yoke withROGET THESAURUS
burden
Redundancy
N redundancy, redundance, too much, too many, superabundance, superfluity, superfluence, saturation, nimiety, transcendency, exuberance, profuseness, profusion, repletion, enough in all conscience, satis superque, lion's share, more than enough, plethora, engorgement, congestion, load, surfeit, sickener, turgescence, overdose, overmeasure, oversupply, overflow, inundation, avalanche, accumulation, heap, drug, drug in the market, glut, crowd, burden, excess, surplus, overplus, epact, margin, remainder, duplicate, surplusage, expletive, work of supererogation, bonus, bonanza, luxury, intemperance, extravagance, exorbitance, lavishment, pleonasm, too many irons in the fire, embarras de richesses, redundant, too much, too many, exuberant, inordinate, superabundant, excessive, overmuch, replete, profuse, lavish, prodigal, exorbitant, overweening, extravagant, overcharged, supersaturated, drenched, overflowing, running over, running to waste, running down, crammed to overflowing, filled to overflowing, gorged, ready to burst, dropsical, turgid, plethoric, obese, superfluous, unnecessary, needless, supervacaneous, uncalled for, to spare, in excess, over and above, de trop, adscititious, supernumerary, on one's hands, spare, duplicate, supererogatory, expletive, un peu fort, over, too, over and above, overmuch, too much, too far, without measure, beyond measure, out of measure, with a to spare, over head and ears, up to one's eyes, up to one's ears, extra, beyond the mark, acervatim, it never rains but it pours, fortuna multis dat nimium nulli satis, Degree of Subservience.Hindrance
N hindrance, prevention, preclusion, obstruction, stoppage, embolus, embolism, infarct, interruption, interception, interclusion, hindrance, impedition, retardment, retardation, embarrassment, oppilation, coarctation, stricture, restriction, restraint, inhibition, blockade, interference, interposition, obtrusion, discouragement, discountenance, impediment, let, obstacle, obstruction, knot, knag, check, hitch, contretemps, screw loose, grit in the oil, bar, stile, barrier, turnstile, turnpike, gate, portcullis, beaver dam, trocha, barricade, wall, dead wall, sea wall, levee breakwater, groyne, bulkhead, block, buffer, stopper, boom, dam, weir, burrock, drawback, objection, stumbling-block, stumbling-stone, lion in the path, snag, snags and sawyers, encumbrance, incumbrance, clog, skid, shoe, spoke, drag, drag chain, drag weight, stay, stop, preventive, prophylactic, load, burden, fardel, onus, millstone round one's neck, impedimenta, dead weight, lumber, pack, nightmare, Ephialtes, incubus, old man of the sea, remora, difficulty, insuperable, obstacle, estoppel, ill wind, head wind, trammel, tether, hold back, counterpoise, damper, wet blanket, hinderer, marplot, killjoy, party pooper, party crasher, interloper, trail of a red herring, opponent, hindering, obstructive, obstruent, impeditive, impedient, intercipient, prophylactic, impedimentary, in the way of, unfavorable, onerous, burdensome, cumbrous, cumbersome, obtrusive, hindered, windbound, waterlogged, heavy laden, hard pressed, unassisted &c (assist), single-handed, alone, deserted, occurrent nubes.Pain
N mental suffering, pain, dolor, suffering, sufferance, ache, smart, passion, displeasure, dissatisfaction, discomfort, discomposure, disquiet, malaise, inquietude, uneasiness, vexation of spirit, taking, discontent, dejection, weariness, anhedonia, annoyance, irritation, worry, infliction, visitation, plague, bore, bother, botheration, stew, vexation, mortification, chagrin, esclandre, mauvais quart d'heur, care, anxiety, solicitude, trouble, trial, ordeal, fiery ordeal, shock, blow, cark, dole, fret, burden, load, concern, grief, sorrow, distress, affliction, woe, bitterness, heartache, carking cares, heavy heart, aching heart, bleeding heart, broken heart, heavy affliction, gnawing grief, unhappiness, infelicity, misery, tribulation, wretchedness, desolation, despair, extremity, prostration, depth of misery, nightmare, ephialtes, incubus, pang, anguish, agony, torture, torment, purgatory, hell upon earth, iron age, reign of terror, slough of despond, peck of troubles, ills that flesh is heir to, miseries of human life, unkindest cut of all, sufferer, victim, prey, martyr, object of compassion, wretch, shorn lamb, in pain, in a state of pain, full of pain, suffering, pained, afflicted, worried, displeased, aching, griped, sore, on the rack, in limbo, between hawk and buzzard, uncomfortable, uneasy, ill at ease, in a taking, in a way, disturbed, discontented, out of humor, weary, heavy laden, stricken, crushed, a prey to, victimized, ill-used, unfortunate, to be pitied, doomed, devoted, accursed, undone, lost, stranded, fey, unhappy, infelicitous, poor, wretched, miserable, woe-begone, cheerless, careworn, concerned, sorry, sorrowing, sorrowful, cut up, chagrined, horrified, horror-stricken, in grief, plunged in grief, a prey to grief, in tears, steeped to the lips in misery, heart-stricken, heart-broken, heart-scalded, broken-hearted, in despair, the iron entered into our soul, haeret lateri lethalis arundo, one's heart bleeding, down, thou climbing sorrow, mirth cannot move a soul in agony, nessun maggior dolere che ricordarsi del tempo fel, sorrow's crown of sorrow is remembering happier th, the Niobe of Nations.Painfulness
N painfulness, trouble, care, trial, affliction, infliction, blow, stroke, burden, load, curse, bitter pill, bitter draught, waters of bitterness, annoyance, grievance, nuisance, vexation, mortification, sickener, bore, bother, pother, hot water, sea of troubles, hornet's nest, plague, pest, cancer, ulcer, sting, thorn, canker, scorpion, dagger, scourge, carking care, canker worm of care, mishap, misfortune, desagrement, esclandre, rub, source of irritation, source of annoyance, wound, open sore, sore subject, skeleton in the closet, thorn in the flesh, thorn in one's side, where the shoe pinches, gall and wormwood, sorry sight, heavy news, provocation, affront, head and front of one's offending, infestation, molestation, malignity, causing pain, hurting, hurtful, painful, dolorific, dolorous, unpleasant, unpleasing, displeasing, disagreeable, unpalatable, bitter, distasteful, uninviting, unwelcome, undesirable, undesired, obnoxious, unacceptable, unpopular, thankless, unsatisfactory, untoward, unlucky, uncomfortable, distressing, afflicting, afflictive, joyless, cheerless, comfortless, dismal, disheartening, depressing, depressive, dreary, melancholy, grievous, piteous, woeful, rueful, mournful, deplorable, pitiable, lamentable, sad, affecting, touching, pathetic, irritating, provoking, stinging, annoying, aggravating, mortifying, galling, unaccommodating, invidious, vexatious, troublesome, tiresome, irksome, wearisome, plaguing, plaguy, awkward, importunate, teasing, pestering, bothering, harassing, worrying, tormenting, carking, intolerable, insufferable, insupportable, unbearable, unendurable, past bearing, not to be borne, not to be endured, more than flesh and blood can bear, enough to drive one mad, enough to provoke a saint, enough to make a parson swear, enough to gag a maggot, shocking, terrific, grim, appalling, crushing, dreadful, fearful, frightful, thrilling, tremendous, dire, heart-breaking, heart-rending, heart-wounding, heart-corroding, heart-sickening, harrowing, rending, odious, hateful, execrable, repulsive, repellent, abhorrent, horrid, horrible, horrific, horrifying, offensive, nauseous, nauseating, disgusting, sickening, revolting, nasty, loathsome, loathful, fulsome, vile, hideous, sharp, acute, sore, severe, grave, hard, harsh, cruel, biting, caustic, cutting, corroding, consuming, racking, excruciating, searching, grinding, grating, agonizing, envenomed, catheretic, pyrotic, ruinous, disastrous, calamitous, tragical, desolating, withering, burdensome, onerous, oppressive, cumbrous, cumbersome, painfully, with pain, deuced, Int, hinc illae lachrymae!, surgit amari aliquid, the place being too hot to hold one, the iron entering into the soul, he jests at scars that never felt a wound, I must be cruel only to be kind, what deep wounds ever closed without a scar?.Contents
N contents, cargo, lading, freight, shipment, load, bale, burden, jag, cartload, shipload, cup of, basket of, of, inside, stuffing, ullage.Gravity
N gravity, gravitation, weight, heaviness, specific gravity, pondorosity, pressure, load, burden, burthen, ballast, counterpoise, lump of, mass of, weight of, lead, millstone, mountain, Ossa on Pelion, weighing, ponderation, trutination, weights, avoirdupois weight, troy weight, apothecaries' weight, grain, scruple, drachma, ounce, pound, lb, arroba, load, stone, hundredweight, cwt, ton, long ton, metric ton, quintal, carat, pennyweight, tod, gram, centigram, milligram, microgram, kilogram, nanogram, picogram, femtogram, attogram, balance, scale, scales, steelyard, beam, weighbridge, spring balance, piezoelectric balance, analytical balance, two-pan balance, one-pan balance, postal scale, baby scale, statics, weighty, weighing, heavy as lead, ponderous, ponderable, lumpish, lumpy, cumbersome, burdensome, cumbrous, unwieldy, massive, incumbent, superincumbent.Concord
N concord, accord, harmony, symphony, homologue, agreement, sympathy, empathy, response, union, unison, unity, bonds of harmony, peace, unanimity, league, happy family, rapprochement, reunion, amity, alliance, entente cordiale, good understanding, conciliation, peacemaker, intercessor, mediator, concordant, congenial, agreeing, in accord, harmonious, united, cemented, banded together, allied, friendly, fraternal, conciliatory, at one with, of one mind, at peace, in still water, tranquil, with one voice, in concert with, hand in hand, on one's side, commune periculum concordiam parit, melody concord, melody, rhythm, measure, rhyme, pitch, timbre, intonation, tone, scale, gamut, diapason, diatonic chromatic scale, enharmonic scale, key, clef, chords, modulation, temperament, syncope, syncopation, preparation, suspension, resolution, staff, stave, line, space, brace, bar, rest, appoggiato, appoggiatura, acciaccatura, note, musical note, notes of a scale, sharp, flat, natural, high note, low note, interval, semitone, second, third, fourth, diatessaron, breve, semibreve, minim, crotchet, quaver, semiquaver, demisemiquaver, hemidemisemiquaver, sustained note, drone, burden, tonic, key note, leading note, fundamental note, supertonic, mediant, dominant, submediant, subdominant, octave, tetrachord, major key, minor key, major scale, minor scale, major mode, minor mode, passage, phrase, concord, harmony, emmeleia, unison, unisonance, chime, homophony, euphony, euphonism, tonality, consonance, consent, part, harmony, harmonics, thorough-bass, fundamental-bass, counterpoint, faburden, piece of music, composer, harmonist, contrapuntist (musician), harmonious, harmonical, in concord, in tune, in concert, unisonant, concentual, symphonizing, isotonic, homophonous, assonant, ariose, consonant, measured, rhythmical, diatonic, chromatic, enharmonic, melodious, musical, melic, tuneful, tunable, sweet, dulcet, canorous, mellow, mellifluous, soft, clear, clear as a bell, silvery, euphonious, euphonic, euphonical, symphonious, enchanting fine-toned, full-toned, silver-toned, harmoniously, in harmony, as one, the hidden soul of harmony.Also see definition of "burden" in Bible Study Dictionaries
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