burden to bear

Meanings

1. 1phraseidiom

   A difficult responsibility or problem that someone has to deal with, often for a long time.

   Grammar: Used as a noun phrase. Often follows adjectives like 'heavy' or 'huge': a heavy burden to bear.

   Patterns

   • a heavy burden to bear
   • a burden to bear for someone

   Caring for three young children alone was a heavy burden to bear.

   The knowledge that he had caused the accident was a burden to bear for years.

   Losing her job was a burden to bear, but she eventually found a better one.

2. 2phraseidiom

   Something that causes worry, sadness, or difficulty and must be accepted.

   Grammar: Often used with 'too much of a' to say something is very hard to accept: too much of a burden to bear.

   Patterns

   • too much of a burden to bear
   • a burden to bear alone

   The guilt was too much of a burden to bear, so he finally told the truth.

   She felt her secret was a burden to bear alone.

Common combinations

heavy burden to bear

The extra debt was a heavy burden to bear.

huge burden to bear

Being the only wage earner is a huge burden to bear.

difficult burden to bear

The loss of a parent is a difficult burden to bear.

too much of a burden to bear

The pressure became too much of a burden to bear.

Synonyms and how they differ

cross to bear

Similar meaning, but often suggests a personal, ongoing suffering that one must accept, often with a religious tone.

responsibility

More neutral and general; it does not carry the same emotional weight of difficulty and endurance.

load

More informal and can refer to a literal or figurative amount of work or worry, not necessarily a long-term duty.

Commonly confused: burden to bear or burden of proof?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “burden to bear”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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