Burden meaning in English
Learn how to use Burden correctly with Gymglish.
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Definition
a burden: a charge, a worry, a responsibility, a thing that is difficult to deal with or to bear
to burden (someone with something): to charge (someone with something), to give someone (a responsibility or worry)
Examples
- "Being a privileged white European male is truly the ultimate burden."
Exercise 1
"The ageing population is certainly a drain on resources."
How else could Icarus have expressed this?
"...the population is certainly a on ."
How else could Icarus have expressed this?
"...the population is certainly a on ."
"The ageing population is certainly a drain on resources."
How else could Icarus have expressed this?
"...the elderly 1 population is certainly a burden 2 on funds 3."
How else could Icarus have expressed this?
"...the elderly 1 population is certainly a burden 2 on funds 3."
1 elderly: This is the right choice here. "Elderly" is synonymous with "old" or "ageing" (which literally means "becoming older"). The ageing population, for example in Europe, creates problems for social security systems where current workers fund the pensions of retired people.
1 sick: This is not the right choice. "Sick" is not synonymous with "ageing". Anybody can be sick at any age and at any time. In fact, I'm not feeling too good myself today and I'm very young (honestly!).
1 disabled: This is not the right answer. Other ways of saying "disabled" include "handicapped" and "physically or mentally challenged". Although being disabled applies to some elderly people, it doesn't apply to them all and so they are not synonymous.
1 unemployed: This is incorrect. "Ageing" does not mean the same as "unemployed" which means "without work". However, we would expect most old people to be unemployed. We don't want to send our senior citizens out to work! Let them have a rest!
2 burden: This is correct. A "burden" is a "weight" or a "strain" or a "drain", something that causes a problem. For example: "My in-laws are coming to visit on Saturday. They are such a burden. I put in so much effort and they are never satisfied." In a more literal context, a "drain" is a pipe where used water and other things go once you have flushed the toilet or emptied the sink!
2 hole: This is not the right answer. A "drain" in the house (under the sink for example) or on a road is where waste and excess water escapes into the sewage system. It is a hole. But, in the phrase above, the word "drain" can not be substituted with "hole". "Drain" in this context means more than simply a physical "hole".
2 bonus: "Bonus" is not synonymous with "drain". A "bonus" is an additional benefit. For example: "My director gave me a $500 bonus for working well on the project. I spent it all at the casino."
2 factor: This is incorrect. A factor is "point", an "aspect", a "consideration" or an "element" of something. For example: "There are several factors to consider before buying a house. The three most important are location, location and location." "Factor" does not mean the same thing as "drain".
3 funds: This is the correct choice. "Funds" are the money available to a person, company, government etc. The word is synonymous with "resources" in this context. Note that "funds" is a purely financial word whereas "resources" can be used in other contexts. For example "natural resources" (gas, trees, etc).
3 hospitals: This is incorrect. A hospital is where we go when we are sick and need medical help. It does not mean the same as "resources".
3 young people: Young people could be considered as our "resources" for the future, but the two words are not interchangeable. This is not the right answer.
3 shares: This is not the right choice here. "Shares" are "parts" of a company that are bought and sold on the stock exchange. A person who has "shares" in the company is called a "shareholder". They are not the same as "resources".
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