Encombre (en. Cumbersome)

/ɑ̃.kɔ̃.bʁ/

Meaning & Definition

EnglishFrench

noun

An obstruction or overload that makes access difficult.

There is congestion in the street due to construction work.

Il y a un encombrement dans la rue à cause des travaux.

A state of disorder due to an excess of objects.

His apartment is filled with clutter.

Son appartement est rempli d'encombrements.

From the verb 'encombrer', from the Latin 'incombrare', which means 'to interrupt, to burden'.

traffic congestion

A slowdown in traffic due to the presence of many vehicles.

encombrement routier

to be burdened with

To be loaded with something that makes access or use difficult.

être encombré de

to live in clutter

To live in a disorderly space filled with useless objects.

vivre dans l'encombrement

cumbersome

Taking up a lot of space or being difficult to manage.

encombrant

to clear out

Removing what clutters.

débarrasser

to unclog

Making a congestion disappear.

désengorger

To be too busy or overwhelmed with tasks.

I am overwhelmed with all these tasks to do.

Je suis encombré avec toutes ces tâches à faire.

To have too many things in one's personal space.

My desk is so cluttered that I can't even write.

Mon bureau est tellement encombré que je ne peux même plus écrire.