1. (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.

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