Onerous: meaning, definitions and examples

๐Ÿคฏ
Add to dictionary

onerous

 

[ หˆษ’nษ™rษ™s ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

legal

Involving an amount of effort and difficulty that is oppressively burdensome.

Synonyms

arduous, burdensome, difficult, taxing.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

arrow down
Word Description / Examples
onerous

Use when describing tasks or responsibilities that are heavy, oppressive, and require significant effort. Often implies a legal or moral weight.

  • Signing the contract came with truly onerous obligations
  • Her job involved onerous duties that left her exhausted
burdensome

Ideal for describing tasks or responsibilities that feel excessively heavy and difficult to manage, often due to their weight or complexity.

  • The constant travel was becoming increasingly burdensome
  • She found juggling work and studies to be quite burdensome
taxing

Used to describe tasks or activities that are particularly tiring and demand a significant amount of mental or physical effort.

  • The long meeting was mentally taxing
  • Gardening all day can be quite taxing on the body
arduous

Best used for tasks and activities that are physically or mentally demanding, involving a lot of effort over a long period.

  • The team began the arduous trek up the mountain
  • Completing the marathon was an arduous accomplishment
difficult

A general term for tasks, situations, or problems that require considerable effort, skill, or determination to accomplish.

  • Learning a new language can be difficult
  • The exam questions were very difficult to answer

Examples of usage

  • The onerous task of proving his innocence fell upon him.
  • The contract placed onerous obligations on the company.
Context #2 | Adjective

general

Involving heavy obligations or duties; hard to endure.

Synonyms

arduous, burdensome, difficult, taxing.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

arrow down
Word Description / Examples
onerous

Describes a task or responsibility that is very challenging and requires a lot of effort, often with an implication of being overly difficult.

  • The most onerous part of the project was managing the tight deadlines.
burdensome

Indicates something that weighs heavily on someone, either emotionally or mentally, causing significant stress or difficulty.

  • The financial obligations of the loan became burdensome for the family.
taxing

Refers to tasks that require a great deal of effort, energy, or resources, often leaving one feeling exhausted.

  • Preparing for the final exams was mentally and physically taxing.
arduous

Used when a task is physically or mentally demanding and takes a long time to complete. It emphasizes the strenuousness of the effort required.

  • Hiking up the steep mountain was an arduous endeavor.
difficult

A general term used to describe something that is not easy to do, understand, or deal with. It covers a wide range of challenging situations.

  • Learning a new language can be difficult at first.

Examples of usage

  • The onerous responsibility of caring for her sick mother.
  • The onerous demands of the job were overwhelming.

Translations

Translations of the word "onerous" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น oneroso

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เค•เคทเฅเคŸเคธเคพเคงเฅเคฏ

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช belastend

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ berat

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ะพะฑั‚ัะถะปะธะฒะธะน

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ uciฤ…ลผliwy

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ้‡ใ„

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท onerieux

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ oneroso

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท zahmetli

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ๋ถ€๋‹ด์Šค๋Ÿฌ์šด

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ู…ุฑู‡ู‚

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ obtรญลพnรฝ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ ลฅaลพkรฝ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ็น้‡็š„

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ obremenjujoฤ

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ รพungt

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ะฐัƒั‹ั€

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒ›แƒซแƒ˜แƒ›แƒ”

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ aฤŸฤฑr

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ oneroso

Etymology

The word 'onerous' originated from the Latin word 'onerลsus', which means 'burdensome'. It has been used in English since the early 17th century. The concept of something being onerous has been present in human society for centuries, as people have always faced burdensome tasks and obligations. Throughout history, the term has been used to describe various legal, financial, and personal burdens that individuals or entities may face.

Word Frequency Rank

With rank #15,245, this word belongs to specialized vocabulary. While not common in everyday speech, it enriches your ability to express complex ideas.