Encumber1. (v. t.) To impede with a burden or obstacle; to weigh down; to retard with something superfluous; to obstruct or embarrass; as, his movements were encumbered by his mantle; his mind is encumbered with useless learning.
2. (v. t.) To load with debts, or other legal claims; as, to encumber an estate with mortgages.
Thesaurus Entries
add, adjoin, affix, agglutinate, annex, append, attach, bear hard upon, block, burden, burthen, charge, clog, complicate, conjoin, cramp, cripple, cumber, decorate, discommode, embarrass, enmesh, ensnarl, entangle, entoil, entrammel, entrap, entwine, fetter, freight, glue on, hamper, hamstring, handicap, hinder, hitch on, hobble, impede, incommode, inconvenience, infix, involve, join with, lade, lame, lime, load, lumber, net, obstruct, oppress, ornament, overburden, overload, overtax, overweight, paste on, plus, postfix, prefix, press down, press hard upon, put with, rest hard upon, retard, saddle, saddle with, shackle, slap on, slow down, snarl, strain, subjoin, suffix, superadd, superpose, tack on, tag, tag on, tangle, tax, toil, trammel, unite with, weigh, weigh down, weigh heavy on, weigh on, weigh upon, weight