encumber

en·cum·ber

 (ĕn-kŭm′bər)

tr.v. en·cum·bered, en·cum·ber·ing, en·cum·bers

1. To cause to have difficulty in moving or in accomplishing something; burden: a hiker encumbered with a heavy pack; a student encumbered with responsibilities.

2. To hinder or impede the action or performance of: restrictions that encumber police work. See Synonyms at hinder¹.

3. To burden with legal or financial obligations: an estate that is encumbered with debts.

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[Middle English encombren, from Old French encombrer, to block up : en-, in; see en-¹ + combre, hindrance (from Gaulish *comboros).]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

encumber

(ɪnˈkʌmbə) or

incumber

vb (tr)

1. to hinder or impede; make difficult; hamper: encumbered with parcels after going shopping at Christmas; his stupidity encumbers his efforts to learn.

2. to fill with superfluous or useless matter

3. to burden with debts, obligations, etc

[C14: from Old French encombrer, from en-¹ + combre a barrier, from Late Latin combrus, of uncertain origin]

enˈcumberingly, inˈcumberingly adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

en•cum•ber

(ɛnˈkʌm bər)

v.t.

1. to impede or hinder; hamper.

2. to block up or fill with superfluous or obstructive things.

3. to weigh down; burden.

4. to burden with obligations, debt, etc.

[1300–50; Middle English < Anglo-French, Middle French encombrer=en- en-¹ + -combrer, v. derivative of combre dam, weir « Gaulish *comberos confluence, bringing together]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

encumber

Past participle: encumbered
Gerund: encumbering

Imperative

encumber

encumber

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Thesaurus

Verb

1.

encumber - hold back constrain, cumber, restrain confine, limit, throttle, trammel, restrain, restrict, bound - place limits on (extent or access); "restrict the use of this parking lot"; "limit the time you can spend with your friends" bridle - put a bridle on; "bridle horses" curb - keep to the curb; "curb your dogs" clog - impede the motion of, as with a chain or a burden; "horses were clogged until they were tamed"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

encumber

verb

1. burden, load, embarrass, saddle, oppress, obstruct, retard, weigh down The company is still labouring under the debt burden that it was encumbered with in the 1980s.

2. hamper, restrict, handicap, slow down, cramp, inhibit, clog, hinder, inconvenience, overload, impede, weigh down, trammel, incommode fishermen encumbered with bulky clothing and boots

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

encumber

verb

1. To place a burden or heavy load on:

burden, charge, cumber, freight, lade, load, saddle, tax, weight.

2. To interfere with the progress of:

bog (down), hinder, hold back, impede, obstruct.

Idiom: get in the way of.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

dérangergêner

gravare

encumber

[ɪnˈkʌmbəʳ] VT [+ person, movement] → estorbar; (with debts) → cargar; [+ place] → llenar (with de) to be encumbered with → tener que cargar con; [+ debts] → estar cargado de

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

encumber

[ɪnˈkʌmbə^r] vt
to encumber o.s. with sth → s'encombrer de qch
to be encumbered by sth [+ luggage] → être encombré(e) de qch; [+ debts] → être criblé(e) de qch; [+ rules, regulations] → être surchargé(e) de qch

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

encumber

vt → beladen; (with debts) → belasten; encumbered property (Fin) → belasteter Grundbesitz

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

encumber

[ɪnˈkʌmbəʳ] vt to encumber (with) (person, with luggage) → caricare (di); (with debts) → gravare (di); (room) → ingombrare (di)

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995