ONEROUS Synonyms: 109 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'onerous' contrast with its synonyms?

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

Q: In what contexts can 'burdensome' take the place of 'onerous'?

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

Q: Where would 'exacting' be a reasonable alternative to 'onerous'?

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

Q: When might 'oppressive' be a better fit than 'onerous'?

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

onerous

adjective

ˈä-nə-rəs

Definition of onerous next

as in tough

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in challenging

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How does the adjective onerous contrast with its synonyms?

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

In what contexts can burdensome take the place of onerous?

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

burdensome responsibilities

Where would exacting be a reasonable alternative to onerous?

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

When might oppressive be a better fit than onerous?

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

Examples of onerous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web He’s succeeded in every big moment amid the greatest of expectations blanketed with the most onerous of pressure. —

Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2024 FIFPro, the players’ union, has documented numerous cases of onerous employment conditions, which were possible under the repressive transfer system. —

Stefan Szymanski, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2024 Coinbase has given people a way to sidestep the big banks and their onerous fees. —

Charles Duhigg, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024 One major reason why EU companies like TotalEnergies complain of a competitive disadvantage to US peers is the fact that America’s regulators haven’t been able to implement similarly onerous regulatory measures, though some have tried. —

David Blackmon, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for onerous

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'onerous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.