Overburdens

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To impose an excessive strain or responsibility that exceeds sustainable limits on an entity or individual
2. To put more work or demands on someone or something than can be managed comfortably
3. To assign too many tasks or obligations to a person or thing, making it difficult to cope

Etymology: "Overburdens" is the third-person singular present form of "overburden," so it carries the same history as the verb itself. That verb is formed from "over-" and "burden," a plain combination with no surprising detour. "Burden" comes from Old English "byrthen," a load carried on the back, and it has long been used for both physical weight and heavier moral or practical loads. "Over-" comes from Old English "ofer," meaning above or beyond, which is the same prefix that gives English many verbs of excess such as "overeat" and "overwork." The combination is transparent: to overburden something is to load it past the point it can bear, whether a cart, a person, or a schedule. The prefix supplies the sense of excess, and the base supplies the image of a weight being carried.

Synonyms: overload, overwhelm, burden, encumber, oppress

Antonyms: lighten, relieve, ease, unburden, free