encumber
gb/ɪŋkˈʌmbɚ/ us/ɪŋkˈʌmbɚ/
C1
English
hátráltat, leterhel, megterhel, eladósít, terhel
VERB
C1
FORMAL
1
Usage pattern:
encumber [someone/something] (with/by [something])
Encumbered by two suitcases, she struggled to get up the stairs.
A két bőröndtől leterhelve alig tudott felmenni a lépcsőn.
Old approval processes can encumber innovation and slow decisions.
Az elavult jóváhagyási folyamatok hátráltathatják az innovációt, és lassíthatják a döntéshozatalt.
Try not to encumber the team with unnecessary paperwork.
Learner examples
He was encumbered with heavy bags.
Nehéz táskákkal volt leterhelve.
Too many rules can encumber a project.
Túl sok szabály hátráltathat egy projektet.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *encumber* where *annoy* or *disturb* is meant; *encumber* is about being weighed down or held back.
Meaning
burden or hinder movement/action
Collocations
encumbered by luggage
|encumbered with bags
|encumbered by responsibilities
|encumbered with obligations
|encumbered by bureaucracy
|encumbered by rules
|heavily encumbered
|encumbered movement
|encumbered schedule
|encumbered by paperwork
Synonyms
burden (General term for loading someone with a heavy weight or responsibility.)
|
hinder (Emphasizes slowing progress or making action difficult.)
|
impede (More formal; focuses on blocking movement or progress.)
|
weigh down (Often physical or strongly metaphorical, highlighting heaviness.)
Antonyms
free (To remove obstacles so movement or action is easy.)
|
unburden (To remove a load of responsibility or worry.)
|
unencumber (Direct opposite; to remove constraints or burdens.)
Themes
daily_life
|work
|movement
Definition
To make it harder for someone or something to move or do something because of a burden.
To weigh someone or something down or hold them back so that they cannot move, act, or progress easily.
VERB
C1
BUSINESS
2
Usage pattern:
encumber [someone/organization] with [debt/costs/loans]
The expansion plan encumbered the company with more debt than it could handle.
A terjeszkedési terv akkora adóssággal terhelte meg a vállalatot, amekkorát már nem tudott kezelni.
She refused to encumber herself with a long-term loan.
Nem volt hajlandó egy hosszú távú hitellel megterhelni magát.
High interest rates can encumber small businesses with expensive repayments.
Learner examples
They were encumbered with debt.
Adóssággal voltak megterhelve.
He did not want to encumber himself with a loan.
Nem akarta hitellel megterhelni magát.
Common mistake:
Do not confuse *encumber* with *endanger*; *encumber* focuses on being tied down by obligations, especially financial ones.
Meaning
burden with debt or costs
Collocations
encumbered with debt
|encumbered by loans
|encumbered by interest payments
|encumber the budget
|encumbered balance
|encumbered funds
|encumbered with liabilities
|financially encumbered
|encumbered by costs
|encumber future earnings
Synonyms
saddle (Often used with debt; slightly informal compared with *encumber*.)
|
burden (Less specifically financial; can refer to any heavy responsibility.)
|
load (Highlights the weight of the financial obligation.)
Antonyms
clear (To remove debt or obligations (e.g., clear a debt).)
|
pay off (To eliminate a debt by paying it.)
Themes
money
|business
|personal_finance
Definition
To give someone so much debt or cost that it becomes a problem.
To burden a person or organization with debt, ongoing costs, or other financial obligations that limit what they can do.
VERB
C2
LEGAL
3
terhel
C1
Usage pattern:
encumber [property/title/asset] with [a mortgage/lien/easement]
The property is encumbered by a lien from an unpaid contractor.
Az ingatlant egy ki nem fizetett vállalkozó zálogjoga terheli.
The bank agreed to encumber the house with a mortgage as collateral for the loan.
A bank beleegyezett, hogy a hitel fedezeteként jelzáloggal terheljék meg a házat.
They discovered an easement that encumbered the land and limited construction.
Learner examples
The house was encumbered by a mortgage.
A házat jelzálog terhelte.
Common mistake:
In legal contexts, *encumber* does not mean simply 'occupy' or 'use'; it means placing a legal burden on ownership.
Meaning
place a legal claim on property
Collocations
encumbered property
|encumbered title
|encumber real estate
|encumber an asset
|encumbered by a lien
|encumbered by a mortgage
|encumbered by an easement
|free of encumbrances
|title is encumbered
|encumber the land
Synonyms
place a lien on (More specific; refers to one common type of encumbrance.)
|
mortgage (Specific method of encumbering property as security for a loan.)
|
attach (Legal/official; can mean applying a claim or seizure to property.)
Antonyms
release (To remove a legal claim or restriction (e.g., release a lien).)
|
clear (To make a title or property free of claims or restrictions.)
Themes
law
|real_estate
|business
Definition
To put a legal claim or restriction on property, like a mortgage or lien.
To burden property with a legal claim or restriction, such as a mortgage, lien, or easement, that limits the owner's freedom to sell or use it.
Grammar
Dictionary form
encumber
IPA
GB/ɪŋkˈʌmbɚ/
US/ɪŋkˈʌmbɚ/
Syllables & stress
en - cum - ber (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (cum)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: encumber
- 3rd Person Singular: encumbers
- Present Participle: encumbering
- Past: encumbered
Word family
Forms
encumbers
verb
encumbering
verb
encumbered
verb
Core family
cumbersome
adjective
Related words
encumbrance
noun C1
Negative and opposite forms
unencumbered
adjective C1
Expressions
be encumbered by
1/bˈi ɪŋkˈʌmbɚd bˈaɪ/
fixed phrase
formal
be held back by something
To be slowed or limited because of something.
Examples
- The project was encumbered by constant changes in requirements.
- The athlete’s movement was encumbered by a heavy brace.
- Small businesses are often encumbered by complex regulations.
Learner examples
- The team is encumbered by too many rules.
be encumbered with
1/bˈi ɪŋkˈʌmbɚd wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
formal
be burdened by something
To have something heavy or difficult that slows you down.
Examples
- He was encumbered with shopping bags and couldn’t open the door.
- The department is encumbered with outdated procedures.
- By the end of the year, the firm was encumbered with debt.
Learner examples
- She is encumbered with too much work.
encumber yourself with
1/ɪŋkˈʌmbɚ jʊɹsˈɛlf wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
formal
take on a burden
To choose to take on something heavy or difficult, like debt.
Examples
- Don’t encumber yourself with debts you can’t repay.
- She didn’t want to encumber herself with management duties.
- It’s easy to encumber yourself with commitments that leave no free time.
Learner examples
- I won’t encumber myself with a big loan.