Meaning & use
I'm a burden
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
used to say you feel you are a problem or heavy responsibility for other people
Grammar: The word 'burden' is a countable noun here, so it needs 'a': I'm a burden. You can also say 'I feel like a burden'.
Patterns
- I'm a burden
- I feel like a burden
- I'm a burden to someone
I'm a burden to my family because I can't work right now.
She told her therapist, 'I feel like a burden to everyone.'
I don't want to be a burden, so I try to manage on my own.
phrasefixed phrase
used to say something is a heavy load or duty to carry
Grammar: Often used with 'on': The cost is a burden on the community. Here it means a difficult responsibility, not a person.
Patterns
- a burden on something
- a burden to someone
The new tax is a burden on small businesses.
Caring for the old house became a burden on the whole family.
Common combinations
- feel like a burden
- After the accident, he often felt like a burden.
- be a burden to someone
- I don't want to be a burden to my children.
- a heavy burden
- The debt was a heavy burden for the young couple.
- a burden on
- The extra paperwork is a burden on teachers.
Synonyms and how they differ
- a weight
- Figurative and less direct; 'I feel like a weight' suggests a heavy feeling but does not say you are a problem for others.
- a nuisance
- Milder and more about being annoying than being a serious responsibility; it can sound less emotional.
- a drain
- Often used for something that uses up money or energy, as in 'a drain on resources'; it is less personal than 'burden'.
Opposites
Word family
- burden noun
- A heavy load or a difficult responsibility.
- burden verb
- To give someone a difficult duty or worry, as in 'Don't burden her with this'.
- burdensome adjective
- Causing worry or hard work; heavy to deal with.
Commonly confused: I'm a burden or burden?
I'm a burden vs burden
As a noun it can mean a physical load, but in 'I'm a burden' it means an emotional or practical problem for others.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'burden' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Burden' is a countable noun here, so it needs 'a' when talking about one person. Option 1 is missing 'a'; option 2 uses 'the' wrongly because it is not a specific known burden; option 3 uses the plural, which does not fit 'I'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “I'm a burden”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.