onerous

onerous
adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French honereus, from Latin onerosus, from oner-, onus burden; akin to Sanskrit anas cart Date: 14th century 1. involving, imposing, or constituting a burden ; troublesome <
an onerous task
>
2. having legal obligations that outweigh the advantages <
an onerous contract
>
onerously adverbonerousness noun Synonyms: onerous, burdensome, oppressive, exacting mean imposing hardship. onerous stresses being laborious and heavy especially because distasteful <
the onerous task of cleaning up the mess
>
. burdensome suggests causing mental as well as physical strain <
burdensome responsibilities
>
. oppressive implies extreme harshness or severity in what is imposed <
the oppressive tyranny of a police state
>
. exacting implies rigor or sternness rather than tyranny or injustice in the demands made or in the one demanding <
an exacting employer
>
.

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • onerous — oner·ous / ä nə rəs, ō / adj 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 …   Law dictionary

  • onerous — onerous, burdensome, oppressive, exacting are comparable when they mean imposing severe trouble, labor, or hardships. All of these terms are applicable to a state of life, its duties or obligations, or to conditions imposed upon a person by that… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • onerous — [än′ər əs, ōn′ər əs] adj. [ME < MFr onereus < L onerosus < onus, a load: see ONUS] 1. burdensome; laborious 2. Law involving a legal obligation that equals or exceeds the benefits [onerous lease] onerously adv. onerousness n. SYN.… …   English World dictionary

  • Onerous — On er*ous, a. [L. onerosus, fr. onus, oneris, a load, burden: cf. F. on[ e]reux.] Burdensome; oppressive. Too onerous a solicitude. I. Taylor. [1913 Webster] {Onerous cause} (Scots Law), a good and legal consideration; opposed to {gratuitous}.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • onerous — (adj.) c.1400, from O.Fr. onereus, honereus (14c., Mod.Fr. onéreux), from L. onerosus, from onus (gen. oneris) burden (see ONUS (Cf. onus)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • onerous — [adj] difficult; requiring hard labor arduous, austere, backbreaking, burdensome, crushing, cumbersome, demanding, difficult, distressing, embittering, exacting, excessive, exhausting, exigent, fatiguing, formidable, galling, grave, grinding,… …   New thesaurus

  • onerous — ► ADJECTIVE 1) involving an oppressive amount of effort and difficulty. 2) Law involving heavy obligations. ORIGIN Latin onerosus, from onus burden …   English terms dictionary

  • onerous — /ownaras/ A contract, lease, share, or other right is said to be onerous when the obligations attaching to it unreasonably counterbalance or exceed the advantage to be derived from it, either absolutely or with reference to the particular… …   Black's law dictionary

  • onerous — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) adj. difficult, troublesome, burdensome, wearing, oppressive. See difficulty.Ant., light, easy. II (Roget s IV) modif. Syn. oppressive, burdensome, heavy, serious, exacting, demanding, galling,… …   English dictionary for students

  • onerous — adjective formal work or responsibility that is onerous is difficult and worrying or makes you tired: an onerous task | onerous duties onerously adverb onerousness noun (U) …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

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