Etymology

cumbrous

cumbr·ous
C3U1M3B3R1O1U1S1

Today it means: Unwieldy because of size or weight; cumbersome. Full definition →

Middle English combrous
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The story

  1. Middle English · inherited fromcombrous“causing obstruction; clumsy; obstructed; bothersome, difficult; burdensome, onerous; serious; causing trouble, troublesome; dangerous; immoral; unjust, wrongful; upset”
  2. English todaycumbrous

From Late Middle English combrous (“causing obstruction; clumsy; obstructed; bothersome, difficult; burdensome, onerous; serious; causing trouble, troublesome; dangerous; immoral; unjust, wrongful; upset”) [and other forms], from komber, kumbre (“distress; destruction”) + -ous (suffix forming adjectives). The English word is analysable as cumber + -ous.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.