1
as in tough
difficult to endure
had the onerous and stressful job of notifying the families of soldiers killed in action
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2
as in challenging
requiring much time, effort, or careful attention
building the scale model of the frigate was an onerous task
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of onerous
But that solution might prove onerous for physical game card players who want to avoid clogging up the limited 256GB of internal storage on the Switch 2 (and/or avoid investing in pricey MicroSD Express cards).
—
Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 5 Sep. 2025
Many of its innovations require technology upgrades and new practices that the networks sometimes view as onerous or rickety.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
These incentives go a long way toward making relocation less onerous for older workers but there is room for improvement.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2025
Democrats are even arguing that having to complete any type of documentation to confirm their eligibility for benefits is just too onerous for recipients, and therefore, many would choose to lose their coverage rather than complete the required paperwork.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for onerous
Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 5 Sep. 2025
Many of its innovations require technology upgrades and new practices that the networks sometimes view as onerous or rickety.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
These incentives go a long way toward making relocation less onerous for older workers but there is room for improvement.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2025
Democrats are even arguing that having to complete any type of documentation to confirm their eligibility for benefits is just too onerous for recipients, and therefore, many would choose to lose their coverage rather than complete the required paperwork.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for onerous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for onerous
Adjective
-
The Red Rocketeers were looking to bounce back after a tough loss against King Phillip, but the opponent was strong.—
Zachary McMahon,
Boston Herald,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Lee described the rookies as tough competitors who displayed a championship mentality during their run to the summer league championship.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Partnered with Val Chmerkovskiy, Earle tackled a challenging routine that impressed the judges.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
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Real-world tests The scientists tested THOR AI on several challenging copper, argon, and tin cases.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
These findings highlight an urgent need to shield stem cells from the harsh realities of space.—
Pranjal Malewar,
New Atlas,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Rain is coming, penciled in for an hour or two from now, and a harsh British wind is flinging leaves off branches and cloaking the countryside with something that smells dungy and damp.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Ncell, Nepal’s second-largest telecommunications service provider, noted that shutting down all platforms at once was, in any case, technically difficult and warned that the move would severely impact business.—
Nir Kshetri,
The Conversation,
14 Sep. 2025
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Last summer, after years of hip problems and some difficult surgeries to address them, Jill had an operation that went poorly.—
Bianca Bosker,
The Atlantic,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Despite international aid groups withdrawing from Afghanistan due to the Taliban’s oppressive regime and its persecution of women and girls, the Reynolds chose to remain.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Hurricane season and summer humidity can be oppressive.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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On the other extreme is the argument that the dynamic is a matter of other factors, such as the types of work women choose; maternity disruptions to careers; less willingness on the whole to work long hours or more physically demanding positions; and poorer negotiation skills.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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The study frames smoke-drying as a deliberate and technically demanding mortuary innovation among tropical hunter-gatherers.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The next few minutes show her searing chicken that’s been marinated in paprika, salt and pepper, and sauteeing onions and tomatoes.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
20 Sep. 2025
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Many now consider Scorsese’s searing, boisterous boxing drama one of the director’s best — a brutal, black-and-white symphony of rage and violence.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Ways to manage monthly mortgage payments Increases in insurance and property taxes can be burdensome for many homeowners living on a tight budget.—
Mitch Wilkins,
USA Today,
18 Sep. 2025
-
That's because lower interest rates make borrowing costs less burdensome, and smaller companies tend to have more debt and rely on bank funding than their larger, cash-rich counterparts.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Onerous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onerous. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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