verb
cumber
Cumber (verb) means to hold something back or make it difficult by weighing it down.
verb
1
To hold something back or make it difficult by weighing it down.
"Why had he not killed himself long ago? Why cumbered he the earth?"
— Max Beerbohm, Zuleika Dobson (1911)
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Etymology
Comes from Middle English combren, an aphetic form of acombren or encombren, borrowed from Old French encombrer, which traces ultimately either to Latin cumulus or to Proto-Celtic *kombereti ("to bring together"), from *kom- and *bereti ("to bear"). It is cognate with German kümmern ("to take care of").
Related words
Rhymes for cumber
See all rhymes for cumber →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of cumber?
"cumber" (verb) means to hold something back or make it difficult by weighing it down.
What is another word for cumber?
Other words for "cumber" include restrain, encumber.
What is the opposite of cumber?
Opposites of "cumber" include alleviate, extricate, free, liberate, lighten.
