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).]

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

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]

encumber

Past participle: encumbered
Gerund: encumbering

Imperative

encumber

encumber

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"

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

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.

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

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

encumber

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

encumber

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