unburden

verb

un·​bur·​den ˌən-ˈbər-dᵊn 

unburdened; unburdening; unburdens

transitive verb

1

: to free or relieve from a burden

2

: to relieve oneself of (cares, fears, worries, etc.) : cast off

Synonyms

• disburden
• discharge
• disencumber
• off-load
• unlade
• unload
• unpack

Examples of unburden in a Sentence

the crew was frantically unburdening the ship in an attempt to save it

a generous friend unburdened her of that particular financial worry

Recent Examples on the Web

Here at last Richard unburdens himself, telling Reacher that the Becks’ lives are not their own. —Chris Klimek, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025

Delegating should not be used as a way to unburden yourself of menial, grunt work. —Terina Allen, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025

Seek resources and tools to help unburden your internal teams and accelerate your data transformation. —Sirjad Parakkat, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024

It’s addressed to an infant discovering the world, unburdened by the darkness that casts a shadow over the narrating mother. —Nina Foster, JSTOR Daily, 25 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing unburden

• unburden oneself

Rhymes for unburden

• bourdon
• burden
• overburden

Kids Definition

unburden

verb

un·​bur·​den ˌən-ˈbərd-ᵊn 

1

: to free or bring relief from a burden

2

: to free oneself from (as cares)