onerous

adjective

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

Intermediate - Known to most educated speakers

Etymology

From Latin onerosus "burdensome," from onus "burden." Related to exonerate (to remove a burden).

Examples in Use

1.
"The onerous regulations drove small businesses away."
2.
"Caring for the elderly can be emotionally onerous."
3.
"The contract's onerous terms made it unacceptable."

Related Vocabulary

Synonyms

burdensomedifficultdemandingarduousoppressive

Related Words

taxinglaboriousheavytough

Fun Fact

Onerous and onus share the same Latin root meaning "burden." To exonerate someone is literally to remove their burden of guilt. Onerous tasks are not just hard—they feel unfairly heavy.

Word Game Tips

Letters: 7 letters (O, N, E, R, O, U, S)

Scrabble Value: 7 points

Tip: Try building from common prefixes or suffixes when you spot these letters.

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