a weighty burden

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a weighty burden" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a heavy or significant responsibility or difficulty that someone is facing. Example: "After the sudden loss of her job, she felt a weighty burden on her shoulders as she struggled to support her family."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

12 human-written examples

Having a country's hopes resting on your shoulders, especially with the Olympics in your hometown, can be a weighty burden.

The New York Times - Sports

Rimington admitted it had been "a weighty burden being a judge but also extremely enjoyable and entertaining".

The Guardian - Books

When you are Allan Houston, and you are all the Knicks have on some nights, you have a weighty burden to haul around.

The New York Times - Sports

It's a weighty burden to drop on the scrawny shoulders of some ten-year-old boy or girl, standing hunched and terrified before a scowling, correction-bent teacher.

The New Yorker

Among other things, they say, the bills could make sites responsible for all content or links posted by their users, a weighty burden for social sites.

The New York Times - Tech

The story gave Depardieu a weighty burden of constraint and pain to carry — and an eruptive rage that burst out from under it.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

48 human-written examples

Prosecutors face perhaps a weightier burden: assembling a potential case and deciding whether to file criminal charges that can win a conviction.

Los Angeles Times

I experienced a shock of recognition one day, when I looked out my window and saw a family strolling down the street where few ever walked, except in pursuit of heroin in an unmistakably Bosnian formation: the eldest member leading the way at a slow, aimless pace, all of them slouching, hands on their butts, as though burdened by a weighty load of worries.

The New Yorker

But then one wonders if Weinberg's opera could ever have been good enough – it isn't – for the weighty burden it sought to carry.

Independent

Days before Green turned 63 he sold BHS, after years of trying to offload the weighty burden of the group's pension fund liabilities and trading losses.

The Guardian - Business

It's the story of how this youngest and most underestimated of siblings slowly, painfully, incrementally found genuine purpose of his own in shouldering the weighty burden of familial expectations and the duty of carrying on his slain brothers' work.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a weighty burden" to describe responsibilities or problems that cause significant stress or difficulty, especially when implying a sense of being weighed down by them.

Common error

Avoid using "a weighty burden" for trivial or minor issues. The phrase is best reserved for situations with genuinely significant implications or impact.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a weighty burden" primarily functions as a noun phrase. It acts as a subject complement or an object, describing a significant responsibility or difficulty. As demonstrated in the Ludwig examples, it's often used to characterize feelings of pressure or constraint.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

83%

Encyclopedias

8%

Science

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academic

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a weighty burden" is a common noun phrase used to describe a significant responsibility or difficulty. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically correct and widely used, especially in News & Media contexts. It effectively conveys a sense of being weighed down by emotional or practical challenges. While suitable for formal and professional writing, avoid overusing it in trivial situations. Alternative phrases like "a significant responsibility" or ""a heavy load"" can be used depending on the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a heavy load

Replaces "burden" with "load", emphasizing the physical sense of carrying something difficult.

a significant responsibility

Replaces the metaphor of weight with the explicit term "responsibility", making it more direct.

a considerable strain

Focuses on the pressure and stress caused by the burden, using "strain" instead.

a major obligation

Highlights the compulsory nature of the burden, framing it as an "obligation".

an onerous task

Replaces "burden" with "task", emphasizing the work and effort involved.

a demanding duty

Highlights the exacting nature of the burden, framing it as a "duty".

a grave concern

Shifts the focus to the worry and anxiety associated with the burden, using "concern".

a pressing issue

Emphasizes the urgency and importance of the burden, framing it as an "issue".

a difficult challenge

Focuses on the problematic nature of the burden, presenting it as a "challenge".

a troublesome matter

Highlights the problematic and worrying nature of the burden using "matter".

FAQs

How can I use "a weighty burden" in a sentence?

You can use "a weighty burden" to describe a heavy responsibility or problem. For example, "The expectation to win placed "a heavy load" on the athlete's shoulders, making it "a weighty burden" to bear."

What is the difference between "a weighty burden" and "a heavy load"?

While both phrases imply something difficult to bear, "a weighty burden" often suggests a more abstract or emotional difficulty, whereas "a heavy load" is more directly related to a physical or tangible burden.

What can I say instead of "a weighty burden"?

You can use alternatives like "a significant responsibility", "a considerable strain", or "an onerous task" depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "a weighty burden" in formal writing?

Yes, "a weighty burden" is suitable for formal writing, particularly when describing serious or significant matters. It conveys a sense of importance and gravity.