Ladencarrying or heavily covered with something is a word with a few related but distinctclearly different from one another meanings. It can mean carrying or filled with something, or it can refer to putting a load on something. In modern English, it is most often used as an adjectivea word that describes a noun in phrases like “laden with food” or “laden with grief.”
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˈleɪdən/
Easy pronunciation: LAY-duhn (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress on the first syllable: LAY-duhn.
Adjective meaning filled with a great quantity; carrying a heavy load of something.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Laden Meaning
full of something or heavily carrying it
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: filled with a great quantity; carrying a heavy load of something
Example: The table was laden with food.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- loaded — A strong everyday synonym when something is full of or carrying a lot of something.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Laden
Meaning 2
weighed down by a feeling or worry
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: burdened psychologically or mentally
Example: She sounded laden with grief.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- oppressed — Works in a figurative sense, but it is stronger and less natural than laden in many contexts.
Meaning 3
put a load on something
Part of speech: verb
Definition: fill or place a load on
Example: They loaded the truck before dawn.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- load — A direct verb synonym for putting a load on something.
- load up — Works in informal contexts, but it is less precise and more conversational.
- lade — A formal or old-fashioned synonym, especially in historical or literary writing.
Meaning 4
take out or scoop up with a ladle
Part of speech: verb
Definition: remove with or as if with a ladle
Example: The cook ladled the soup into bowls.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- lade — A direct synonym for scooping or removing with a ladle.
- ladle — A direct synonym for scooping with a ladle.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Laden Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- loaded
burdened psychologically or mentally
- oppressed
fill or place a load on
- load
- load up
- lade
remove with or as if with a ladle
- lade
- ladle
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Using laden as a verb in modern everyday English when the adjective sense is usually intended.
- Confusing laden with loaded: they overlap, but loaded is more common and more natural in many everyday contexts.
- Using ladened as if it were standard English.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does laden mean in simple English?
Most often, it means full of something or carrying a heavy amount of something.
Is laden an adjective or a verb?
It can be both, but the adjective sense is the most common in modern English.
What is a good synonym for laden?
Loaded is the closest everyday synonym in the sense of being full of or carrying a lot.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.