Onerous

/ˈəʊn.ər.əs/

Meaning & Definition

adjective

Burdensome; involving a great deal of effort, difficulty, or expense.

The contract contained onerous terms that made it difficult for the company to comply.

Oppressive or burdensome to bear.

They found the legal requirements to be onerous and time-consuming.

Taxing or demanding on one’s resources or capabilities.

The onerous workload led many employees to seek a better work-life balance.

Middle English, from Latin 'onerōsus', from 'onus' meaning 'burden'.

onerous duties:

tasks that are hard and taxing to perform.

onerous obligations:

responsibilities that are heavy and difficult to fulfill.

A pain in the neck.

Doing my taxes this year was such an onerous pain in the neck.

A big hassle.

Getting the paperwork done was an onerous hassle.