Onerous: meaning, definitions and examples

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.