encumber

verb

en·​cum·​ber in-ˈkəm-bər 

encumbered; encumbering in-ˈkəm-b(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

1

: weigh down, burden

tourists encumbered by heavy luggage

2

: to impede or hamper the function or activity of : hinder

negotiations encumbered by a lack of trust

3

: to burden with a legal claim (such as a mortgage)

encumber an estate

Did you know?

Encumber Has French Roots

“I can’t help you with your troubles / If you won’t help with mine,” the workingman protagonist tells his companion Melinda in “Cumberland Blues” (a song by Grateful Dead), encumbered by indecision over whether or not to keep his dead-end job. Does he stay or does he go? To be encumbered is to be held back, weighed down, overburdened. One can be encumbered physically (as by a heavy load or severe weather) or figuratively (as by, well, the blues). Encumber traces back to the Middle French noun combre, which referred to a dam or weir constructed in the bed of a river to hold back fish or protect the banks. The notion of stoppage or blockage embedded in combre led to the verb encombre (“to obstruct, burden”) and further downstream to not only the English verb encumber, but adjectives cumbersome and cumbrous, both used to describe things that can slow one down. (Note, however, that the place name Cumberland—referring originally to a former county of northwestern England and used in many U.S. and Canadian locales—comes not from combre, but rather the Latin designation Cumbria, in turn was influenced by the Welsh Cymry.)

Synonyms

• clog
• cramp
• embarrass
• fetter
• hamper
• handcuff
• handicap
• hinder
• hobble
• hog-tie
• hold back
• hold up
• impede
• inhibit
• interfere (with)
• manacle
• obstruct
• shackle
• short-circuit
• stymie
• tie up
• trammel

Examples of encumber in a Sentence

These rules will only encumber the people we're trying to help.

Lack of funding has encumbered the project.

Recent Examples on the Web

Was writing poetry something that felt encumbered before now? —James Factora, Them, 1 Nov. 2024

Sales leaders said they’re encumbered by long quotation processes driven by a need to dig up relevant information (67 percent), while 33 percent said poor collaboration and communication between procurement and engineering leads to delays. —Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019

Food destinations in the West Loop, River North and much of the city aren’t encumbered by the restrictions. —Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2024

The company claimed Lisa Marie borrowed $3.8 million and gave them a deed of trust encumbering Graceland as security prior to her 2023 death. —Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 27 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English encombren, from Anglo-French encumbrer, from en- + Middle French combre dam, weir

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

encumber

verb

en·​cum·​ber in-ˈkəm-bər 

encumbered; encumbering -b(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to place an excessive burden on

2

: to make problems for the work or activity of

Legal Definition

encumber

transitive verb

en·​cum·​ber

variants also incumber

in-ˈkəm-bər

encumbered; encumbering

: to burden with a claim (as a mortgage or lien)

encumbered the land with a mineral lease