onerous

adjective

oner·ous ˈä-nə-rəs How to pronounce onerous (audio)

ˈō-

: involving, imposing, or constituting a burden : troublesome

an onerous task

onerous regulations

an onerous mortgage

: having legal obligations that outweigh the advantages

an onerous contract

onerously adverb

onerousness noun

Did you know?

What is the Difference Between onerous, burdensome, oppressive?

Onerous, which traces back to the Latin onus, meaning "burden," has several synonyms. Like onerous, burdensome, oppressive, and exacting all refer to something which imposes a hardship of some kind. Onerous stresses a sense of laboriousness and heaviness, especially because something is distasteful ("the onerous task of cleaning up the mess"). Burdensome suggests something which causes mental as well as physical strain ("the burdensome responsibilities of being a supervisor"). Oppressive implies extreme harshness or severity in what is imposed ("the oppressive tyranny of a police state"). Exacting suggests rigor or sternness rather than tyranny or injustice in the demands made or in the one demanding ("an exacting employer who requires great attention to detail").

Example Sentences

Then everyone was asked, how fairly did you act?, from "extremely unfairly" (1) to "extremely fairly" (7). Next they watched someone else make the assignments, and judged that person's ethics. Selflessness was a virtual no-show: 87 out of 94 people opted for the easy task and gave the next guy the onerous one.

Sharon Begley, Newsweek, 23 June 2008 The first hitch occurred when the state education department took a full six months after the new law was adopted to issue 12 pages of onerous rules and regulations governing Arkansas charter schools.

Wendy Cole, Time, 10 June 2000 Environmentalism poses stark issues of survival, for humankind and for all those other tribes of creatures over which we have exercised our onerous dominion.

Marilynne Robinson, The Death of Adam, 1998 Rap tested well, but early on the promoters said they wouldn't be booking any gangsta rap, a move at least partly designed to calm security concerns during the onerous process of complying with the strict mass-gathering laws enacted in the wake of the 1969 festival.

John Milward, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 1994 The government imposed onerous taxes on imports. had the onerous and stressful job of notifying the families of soldiers killed in action See More

Recent Examples on the Web Lockdowns, remote learning and quarantines placed onerous limits on children's physical freedoms, curtailing their opportunities to do all sorts of things on their own outside home.

Elissa Strauss, CNN, 1 Sep. 2022 The raw meat diet may continue to be demystified in further research, and the lifestyle might lose some of its onerous, hypermasculine baggage.

Luke Winkie, Bon Appétit, 31 Aug. 2022 That includes rethinking the onerous path its baristas must take to make a Frappuccino.

WSJ, 31 Aug. 2022 Election officials said many of the onerous requests seek ballot records, information on voting machines, and even the personal information of election workers -- which election offices will not provide.

Laura Romero, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2022 The best way to stem pilot fatigue, as well as reduce the onerous flight delays and cancellations that have plagued the airline industry of late, is for airlines to trim their schedules, experts say.

Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2022 Solutions, especially in small communities, are often onerous and expensive.

Keely Larson, Ars Technica, 20 Aug. 2022 Minneapolis enacted two years of onerous executive-order lockdown policies starting in March 2020.

Fox News, 17 Aug. 2022 Many states are also loosening requirements to become a teacher, calling them needlessly onerous.

Sara Randazzo, WSJ, 16 Aug. 2022 See More

onerous

adjective

as in oppressive

difficult to endure had the onerous and stressful job of notifying the families of soldiers killed in action

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

oppressive
tough
harsh
hard
severe
burdensome
brutal
searing
trying
rough
cruel
heavy
painful
grim
excruciating
inhuman
grievous
murderous
bleak
bitter
rugged
stiff
unpleasant
uncomfortable
forbidding
unbearable
stringent
strict
rigorous
hardhanded
inhospitable
overwhelming
austere
spartan
bad
intolerable
agonizing
intemperate
inclement
unendurable
tortuous
comfortless
discomforting
insufferable
crushing
disagreeable
biting
grinding
wretched
hostile
harrowing
insupportable
heartbreaking
wild
unfriendly
wearing
heartrending

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

easy
light
soft
pleasant
comfortable
agreeable
luxurious
friendly
hospitable
cozy
tolerable
genial
peaceful
painless
bearable
restful
mild
moderate
relaxing
gentle
snug
endurable
temperate
calm
reposeful
balmy
clement

as in challenging

requiring much time, effort, or careful attention building the scale model of the frigate was an onerous task

Synonyms & Similar Words

challenging
difficult
demanding
burdensome
arduous
laborious
taxing
tough
exacting
grueling
toilsome
hard
gruelling
killing
strenuous
formidable
persnickety
testing
oppressive
herculean
stringent
rigorous
severe
trying
stiff
strict
rigid
rough
stern
rugged

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

undemanding
easy
simple
light
unchallenging
effortless
smooth
facile
nondemanding

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of onerous are burdensome, exacting, and oppressive. While all these words mean "imposing hardship," onerous stresses being laborious and heavy especially because distasteful.

the onerous task of cleaning up the mess

The synonyms burdensome and onerous are sometimes interchangeable, but burdensome suggests causing mental as well as physical strain.

burdensome responsibilities

While the synonyms exacting and onerous are close in meaning, exacting implies rigor or sternness rather than tyranny or injustice in the demands made or in the one demanding.

an exacting employer

In some situations, the words oppressive and onerous are roughly equivalent. However, oppressive implies extreme harshness or severity in what is imposed.

the oppressive tyranny of a police state

单词	onerous
释义	onerous adjective oner·ous ˈä-nə-rəs ˈō- 1 : involving, imposing, or constituting a burden : troublesome an onerous task onerous regulations an onerous mortgage 2 : having legal obligations that outweigh the advantages an onerous contract onerously adverb onerousness noun Did you know? What is the Difference Between onerous, burdensome, oppressive? Onerous, which traces back to the Latin onus, meaning "burden," has several synonyms. Like onerous, burdensome, oppressive, and exacting all refer to something which imposes a hardship of some kind. Onerous stresses a sense of laboriousness and heaviness, especially because something is distasteful ("the onerous task of cleaning up the mess"). Burdensome suggests something which causes mental as well as physical strain ("the burdensome responsibilities of being a supervisor"). Oppressive implies extreme harshness or severity in what is imposed ("the oppressive tyranny of a police state"). Exacting suggests rigor or sternness rather than tyranny or injustice in the demands made or in the one demanding ("an exacting employer who requires great attention to detail"). Synonyms bitter brutal burdensome cruel excruciating grievous grim hard hardhanded harsh heavy inhuman murderous oppressive rough rugged searing severe stiff tough trying See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Then everyone was asked, how fairly did you act?, from "extremely unfairly" (1) to "extremely fairly" (7). Next they watched someone else make the assignments, and judged that person's ethics. Selflessness was a virtual no-show: 87 out of 94 people opted for the easy task and gave the next guy the onerous one. Sharon Begley, Newsweek, 23 June 2008 The first hitch occurred when the state education department took a full six months after the new law was adopted to issue 12 pages of onerous rules and regulations governing Arkansas charter schools. Wendy Cole, Time, 10 June 2000 Environmentalism poses stark issues of survival, for humankind and for all those other tribes of creatures over which we have exercised our onerous dominion. Marilynne Robinson, The Death of Adam, 1998 Rap tested well, but early on the promoters said they wouldn't be booking any gangsta rap, a move at least partly designed to calm security concerns during the onerous process of complying with the strict mass-gathering laws enacted in the wake of the 1969 festival. John Milward, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 1994 The government imposed onerous taxes on imports. had the onerous and stressful job of notifying the families of soldiers killed in action See More Recent Examples on the Web Lockdowns, remote learning and quarantines placed onerous limits on children's physical freedoms, curtailing their opportunities to do all sorts of things on their own outside home. Elissa Strauss, CNN, 1 Sep. 2022 The raw meat diet may continue to be demystified in further research, and the lifestyle might lose some of its onerous, hypermasculine baggage. Luke Winkie, Bon Appétit, 31 Aug. 2022 That includes rethinking the onerous path its baristas must take to make a Frappuccino. WSJ, 31 Aug. 2022 Election officials said many of the onerous requests seek ballot records, information on voting machines, and even the personal information of election workers -- which election offices will not provide. Laura Romero, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2022 The best way to stem pilot fatigue, as well as reduce the onerous flight delays and cancellations that have plagued the airline industry of late, is for airlines to trim their schedules, experts say. Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2022 Solutions, especially in small communities, are often onerous and expensive. Keely Larson, Ars Technica, 20 Aug. 2022 Minneapolis enacted two years of onerous executive-order lockdown policies starting in March 2020. Fox News, 17 Aug. 2022 Many states are also loosening requirements to become a teacher, calling them needlessly onerous. Sara Randazzo, WSJ, 16 Aug. 2022 See More Word History Etymology Middle English, from Middle French honereus, from Latin onerosus, from oner-, onus burden; akin to Sanskrit anas cart First Known Use 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Kids Definition onerous adjective oner·ous ˈä-nə-rəs ˈō- : being difficult and unpleasant to do or to deal with "… do you never find your duties onerous or irksome?" E. B. White, The Trumpet of the Swan Legal Definition onerous adjective oner·ous ˈä-nə-rəs, ˈō- 1 : excessively burdensome or costly 2 : involving a return benefit, compensation, or consideration an onerous donation —used chiefly in the civil law of Louisiana see also onerous contract at contract compare gratuitous onerous adjective 1 as in oppressive difficult to endure had the onerous and stressful job of notifying the families of soldiers killed in action Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance oppressive tough harsh hard severe burdensome brutal searing trying rough cruel heavy painful grim excruciating inhuman grievous murderous bleak bitter rugged stiff unpleasant uncomfortable forbidding unbearable stringent strict rigorous hardhanded inhospitable overwhelming austere spartan bad intolerable agonizing intemperate inclement unendurable tortuous comfortless discomforting insufferable crushing disagreeable biting grinding wretched hostile harrowing insupportable heartbreaking wild unfriendly wearing heartrending Antonyms & Near Antonyms easy light soft pleasant comfortable agreeable luxurious friendly hospitable cozy tolerable genial peaceful painless bearable restful mild moderate relaxing gentle snug endurable temperate calm reposeful balmy clement See More 2 as in challenging requiring much time, effort, or careful attention building the scale model of the frigate was an onerous task Synonyms & Similar Words challenging difficult demanding burdensome arduous laborious taxing tough exacting grueling toilsome hard gruelling killing strenuous formidable persnickety testing oppressive herculean stringent rigorous severe trying stiff strict rigid rough stern rugged Antonyms & Near Antonyms undemanding easy simple light unchallenging effortless smooth facile nondemanding See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of onerous are burdensome, exacting, and oppressive. While all these words mean "imposing hardship," onerous stresses being laborious and heavy especially because distasteful. the onerous task of cleaning up the mess The synonyms burdensome and onerous are sometimes interchangeable, but burdensome suggests causing mental as well as physical strain. burdensome responsibilities While the synonyms exacting and onerous are close in meaning, exacting implies rigor or sternness rather than tyranny or injustice in the demands made or in the one demanding. an exacting employer In some situations, the words oppressive and onerous are roughly equivalent. However, oppressive implies extreme harshness or severity in what is imposed. the oppressive tyranny of a police state
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onerous

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

adjective

Legal Definition

adjective

adjective

Synonym Chooser