{
    "term": "burden",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "c1",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "a duty, responsibility, etc. that causes worry, difficulty or hard work",
            "sensetop": "the burden (of something)burden on somebodya burden to somebody",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "to **bear/carry/ease/reduce/share the burden**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The main burden of caring for old people falls on the state.",
                    "contextForm": "the burden (of something)"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the heavy tax burden on working people",
                    "contextForm": "burden on somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I don't want to become a burden to my children when I'm old.",
                    "contextForm": "a burden to somebody"
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Difficulty and failure"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["enormous", "great", "heavy"],
                "verb + burden": ["bear", "carry", "assume"],
                "burden + verb": ["fall on somebody/​something"],
                "preposition": ["burden for", "burden of", "burden on"],
                "phrases": [
                    "the burden of proof",
                    "have a burden on your shoulders",
                    "the burden of doing something"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "a heavy load that is difficult to carry",
            "labels": "(formal)",
            "examples": [],
            "collocations": {
                "verb + burden": ["carry", "pick up", "lay down"],
                "phrases": ["a beast of burden"]
            }
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈbɜːdn/",
                "audio": "bu/burden/burden__gb_5.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈbɜːrdn/",
                "audio": "bu/burden/burden__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Old English byrthen, of West Germanic origin; related to the verb bear."
}