Meanings
nounbeast of burden (plural beasts of burden)
plural beasts of burden
- broadlyAny domestic animal trained to perform other tasks for humans, such as a herding dog or trained falcon.
Near-synonyms: working animal, service animal
Synonyms: working animal, service animal
- broadlyfigurativelyA person who is mistreated by being inappropriately treated like a servant.
Get it yourself. I'm not your beast of burden.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny domestic animal trained to perform other tasks for humans, such as a herding dog or trained falcon.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
nounan animal such as a donkey or ox or elephant used for transporting loads or doing other heavy work
Similar
Broader
work animal
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Ancient Greek ὑποζύγιον
- ὑποζύγιον (hupozúgion)animal that carries or pulls a load
Arabic بَهِيمَة, دَابَّة
- بَهِيمَة (bahīma)domesticated animal trained to perform tasks for humans
- دَابَّة (dābba)domesticated animal trained to perform tasks for humans
Catalan bèstia, animal de càrrega
- bèstiaanimal that carries or pulls a load
- animal de càrregaanimal that carries or pulls a load
Chinese Mandarin 馱畜 /驮畜, 馴養動物 /驯养动物
- 馱畜 /驮畜 (tuóchù)animal that carries or pulls a load
- 馴養動物 /驯养动物 (xùnyǎng dòngwù)domesticated animal trained to perform tasks for humans
Czech soumar
- soumaranimal that carries or pulls a load
Danish arbejdsdyr, trækdyr
- arbejdsdyranimal that carries or pulls a load
- trækdyranimal that carries or pulls a load
- lastdyranimal that carries or pulls a load
Dutch lastdier
- lastdieranimal that carries or pulls a load
Esperanto ŝarĝbesto
- ŝarĝbestoanimal that carries or pulls a load
Finnish juhta, kantojuhta
- juhtaanimal that carries or pulls a load
- kantojuhtaanimal that carries or pulls a load
- kuormajuhtaanimal that carries or pulls a load
- juhtaeläindomesticated animal trained to perform tasks for humans
- juhtadomesticated animal trained to perform tasks for humans
French bête de somme, animal de trait
- bête de sommeanimal that carries or pulls a load
- animal de traitanimal that carries or pulls a load
- bête de chargeanimal that carries or pulls a load
German Saumtier, Lasttier
- Saumtieranimal that carries or pulls a load
- Lasttieranimal that carries or pulls a load
- Lastkamelanimal that carries or pulls a load
- Saumkamelanimal that carries or pulls a load
- Packeselanimal that carries or pulls a load
- Tragtieranimal that carries or pulls a load
- Zugtieranimal that carries or pulls a load
- Arbeitstieranimal that carries or pulls a load
- Arbeitstierdomesticated animal trained to perform tasks for humans
Greek υποζύγιο
- υποζύγιο (ypozýgio)animal that carries or pulls a load
Hungarian málhás állat, teherhordó állat
- málhás állatanimal that carries or pulls a load
- teherhordó állatanimal that carries or pulls a load
Icelandic burðardýr, dráttardýr
- burðardýranimal that carries or pulls a load
- dráttardýranimal that carries or pulls a load
- vinnudýranimal that carries or pulls a load
Italian giumento, animale da soma
- giumentoanimal that carries or pulls a load
- animale da somaanimal that carries or pulls a load
- animale addestratodomesticated animal trained to perform tasks for humans
Japanese 駄獣, 駄載獣
- 駄獣 (dajū)animal that carries or pulls a load
- 駄載獣 (dasaijū)animal that carries or pulls a load
Latin iumentum, armentum
- iumentumanimal that carries or pulls a load
- armentumanimal that carries or pulls a load
Norwegian Bokmål lastedyr, trekkdyr
- lastedyranimal that carries or pulls a load
- trekkdyranimal that carries or pulls a load
- kløvdyranimal that carries or pulls a load
Persian چهارپا
- چهارپاanimal that carries or pulls a load
Polish zwierzę juczne, zwierzę juczne
- zwierzę juczneanimal that carries or pulls a load
- zwierzę jucznedomesticated animal trained to perform tasks for humans
Portuguese besta de carga, animal cargueiro
- besta de cargaanimal that carries or pulls a load
- animal cargueiroanimal that carries or pulls a load
- azémolaanimal that carries or pulls a load
- azêmolaanimal that carries or pulls a load
Romanian animal de povară
- animal de povarăanimal that carries or pulls a load
Russian вью́чное живо́тное
- вью́чное живо́тное (vʹjúčnoje živótnoje)animal that carries or pulls a load
Spanish bestia de carga, animal de carga
- bestia de cargaanimal that carries or pulls a load
- animal de cargaanimal that carries or pulls a load
- animal adiestradodomesticated animal trained to perform tasks for humans
- animal amansadodomesticated animal trained to perform tasks for humans
- animal domesticadodomesticated animal trained to perform tasks for humans
Swedish lastdjur, dragdjur
- lastdjuranimal that carries or pulls a load
- dragdjuranimal that carries or pulls a load
- packdjuranimal that carries or pulls a load
- ökanimal that carries or pulls a load
- klövjedjuranimal that carries or pulls a load
Turkish yük hayvanı
- yük hayvanıanimal that carries or pulls a load
Ukrainian в'ю́чна твари́на
- в'ю́чна твари́на (vʺjúčna tvarýna)animal that carries or pulls a load
Welsh anifail pwn
- anifail pwnanimal that carries or pulls a load
Cite this entry
APA
beast of burden. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beast%20of%20burden
MLA
“beast of burden.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beast%20of%20burden. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “beast of burden,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beast%20of%20burden.
Source: beast of burden on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.