ENGLISH
REFERENCE

cumbersome

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈkəmbɝsəm// UK //kˈʌmbəsˌʌm// cum·ber·some

adj. heavy or difficult to carry or use because of its size or weight. It can also describe a process that is slow and complicated.

adj. large, heavy, or awkwardly shaped, making it difficult to handle or manage. Often describes physical objects or abstract systems that are inefficient and slow.


SIMPLE

The old printer is too cumbersome to move by myself.

CONTEXTUAL

The new software was supposed to help, but the login process is so cumbersome that nobody uses it.

COMPLEX

While the ancient armor provided excellent protection, its cumbersome weight made it nearly impossible for the soldiers to retreat quickly across the muddy battlefield.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English cumbyrsum, cummyrsum; equivalent to cumber (“hindrance”) + -some. Compare encumber and incumbent.

Usage

Often used to describe physical objects, but frequently applied to abstract concepts like bureaucracy, legislation, or procedures.

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