encumber
verb
en·cum·ber in-ˈkəm-bər 
encumbered; encumbering in-ˈkəm-b(ə-)riŋ
transitive verb
1
: weigh down, burden
tourists encumbered by heavy luggage
2
: to impede or hamper the function or activity of : hinder
negotiations encumbered by a lack of trust
3
: to burden with a legal claim (such as a mortgage)
encumber an estate
Did you know?
Encumber Has French Roots
In Old French, the noun combre meant a defensive obstacle formed by felled trees with sharpened branches facing the enemy. Later, in Middle French, combre referred to a barrier, similar to a dam or weir, constructed in the bed of a river to hold back fish or protect the banks. That notion of holding back is what informs our verb encumber. One can be physically encumbered (as by a heavy load or severe weather) or figuratively (as by bureaucratic restrictions). Combre also gives us the adjectives cumbersome and cumbrous, both meaning "awkward or difficult to handle."
Synonyms
- clog
- cramp
- embarrass
- fetter
- hamper
- handcuff
- handicap
- hinder
- hobble
- hog-tie
- hold back
- hold up
- impede
- inhibit
- interfere (with)
- manacle
- obstruct
- shackle
- short-circuit
- stymie
- tie up
- trammel
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
These rules will only encumber the people we're trying to help. Lack of funding has encumbered the project.
Recent Examples on the Web Trump has dismissed it as little more than a Chinese hoax meant to encumber America’s free market business interests, and has launched diatribes against wind power, while Musk advocates an end to fossil fuels. 
Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 12 July 2022 The goal would be to reduce recidivism, provide workforce development and not encumber first-time offenders with a conviction on their records. Thomas Jewell, cleveland, 26 Oct. 2021 The hope is that the testbed will remove much of the red tape that might otherwise encumber partnering with the government. Adi Gaskell, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2021 In other words, unused oil and gas leases encumber 1.7 federal million acres in Utah, some of them within sight of national parks and monuments. Brian Maffly, The Salt Lake Tribune, 4 Aug. 2021 Mitchell’s own first publication at the company, on making smile-detection algorithms perform well for people of different races and genders, also met with a degree of corporate hesitancy that didn’t seem to encumber more conventional AI projects. Tom Simonite, Wired, 8 June 2021 At that time, Roach said that of the $18.7 million in FEMA funds, $13.6 million had been spent or encumbered, leaving $5.1 million to encumber over the next few weeks. Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 5 May 2021 Roach said of the $18.7 million in FEMA funds, $13.6 million has been spent or encumbered as of Friday, leaving $5.1 million to encumber over the next few weeks. Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 17 Apr. 2021 Suburban voters are convinced that taxes will cost them money, no matter where the hammer drops, and are perplexed that the White House would encumber an economy recovering from the coronavirus. David M. Drucker, Washington Examiner, 12 Apr. 2021 See More
Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 12 July 2022 The goal would be to reduce recidivism, provide workforce development and not encumber first-time offenders with a conviction on their records. Thomas Jewell, cleveland, 26 Oct. 2021 The hope is that the testbed will remove much of the red tape that might otherwise encumber partnering with the government. Adi Gaskell, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2021 In other words, unused oil and gas leases encumber 1.7 federal million acres in Utah, some of them within sight of national parks and monuments. Brian Maffly, The Salt Lake Tribune, 4 Aug. 2021 Mitchell’s own first publication at the company, on making smile-detection algorithms perform well for people of different races and genders, also met with a degree of corporate hesitancy that didn’t seem to encumber more conventional AI projects. Tom Simonite, Wired, 8 June 2021 At that time, Roach said that of the $18.7 million in FEMA funds, $13.6 million had been spent or encumbered, leaving $5.1 million to encumber over the next few weeks. Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 5 May 2021 Roach said of the $18.7 million in FEMA funds, $13.6 million has been spent or encumbered as of Friday, leaving $5.1 million to encumber over the next few weeks. Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 17 Apr. 2021 Suburban voters are convinced that taxes will cost them money, no matter where the hammer drops, and are perplexed that the White House would encumber an economy recovering from the coronavirus. David M. Drucker, Washington Examiner, 12 Apr. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English encombren, from Anglo-French encumbrer, from en- + Middle French combre dam, weir
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
encumber
verb
en·cum·ber in-ˈkəm-bər
encumbered; encumbering
1
: to weigh down : burden
Their heavy coats encumbered the children.
2
: to cause problems or delays for : hinder
Bad weather encumbered the building project.
Legal Definition
encumber
transitive verb
en·cum·ber
variants also incumber
in-ˈkəm-bər
encumbered; encumbering
: to burden with a claim (as a mortgage or lien)
encumbered the land with a mineral lease
encumbering
verb
1
as in hampering
to create difficulty for the work or activity of the claim that all of these regulations encumber doctors, taking time away from the actual practice of medicine Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- hampering
- hindering
- impeding
- obstructing
- embarrassing
- inhibiting
- handicapping
- delaying
- constraining
- shackling
- restraining
- fettering
- clogging
- hobbling
- stymieing
- cramping
- disrupting
- handcuffing
- trammeling
- blocking
- thwarting
- tying up
- holding back
- stifling
- frustrating
- manacling
- tying
- trammelling
- curbing
- retaining
- binding
- short-circuiting
- reining
- retarding
- tieing up
- hog-tying
- confining
- strangling
- balking
- checking
- suffocating
- interfering (with)
- tethering
- giving a hard time
- barricading
- arresting
- holding up
- cramping one's style
- smothering
- baffling
- miring
- tieing
- braking
- chaining
- sabotaging
- leashing
- haltering
- blockading
- derailing
- choking
- roadblocking
- repressing
- suppressing
- stumping
- muzzling
- foiling
- bogging (down)
- hedging (in)
- hemming (in)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- aiding
- assisting
- helping
- facilitating
- freeing
- clearing
- opening
- liberating
- releasing
- loosening
- promoting
- untying
- encouraging
- unplugging
- furthering
- smoothing
- unstopping
- making way
- unclogging
- untieing
2
as in loading
to place a weight or burden on don't encumber your pack animal so much that it can hardly move Synonyms & Similar Words
- loading
- burdening
- saddling
- filling
- packing
- weighting
- freighting
- lumbering
- weighing
- lading
- piling
- taxing
- stacking
- ladening
- cluttering
- hampering
- clogging
- overburdening
- afflicting
- overtaxing
- overloading
- oppressing
- heaping
- mounding
- handicapping
- surcharging
- straining
- pressing
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- unloading
- discharging
- relieving
- alleviating
- unburdening
- disencumbering
- unlading
- easing
- disburdening
- lightening
- decision problem
- decision table
- decision theory
- decision tree
- decision-making
- decisional
- decisioned
- decisioning
- decisionism
- decisions
- decisive
- decisive action
- decisive factor
- decisive/deciding/determining factor
- decisively
- decisiveness
- decisivenesses
- decistere
- decisteres
- decitizenised
- decitizenises
- decitizenising
- decitizenized
- decitizenizes
- decitizenizing