What does it mean to weigh down or burden someone?

To encumber someone means to weigh them down or burden them by placing a load or responsibility on their shoulders. In a figurative sense, it refers to the feeling of being constrained or hindered, whether physically or emotionally. This term captures the essence of creating a burden that can limit someone's freedom or ability to act effectively.

While other terms like overwhelm, impose, and tax can convey the sense of burdening in different contexts, encumber is specifically tied to the idea of adding a weight or responsibility that makes mobility or ease of action more difficult. Overwhelm often describes an emotional state where someone feels flooded with too much information or situation to handle; impose tends to focus on the act of forcing something upon someone without their consent, and tax typically means to place a heavy burden on one's resources, usually in terms of effort or energy. Each of these terms carries its nuance, but encumber distinctly emphasizes the additional weight or limitation placed on someone.